Derp
by Eldunari107
Summary: Derp


Soul Mates

Chapter 1

The moon rose above Lake Hylia, casting its pale light over the land. The water splashed against the shore, a whole little symphony in itself. Crickets joined in, and the stage was set for the night's concert.

On a small island, upon which a large, naked tree stood proud and tall, a small fire was crackling merrily, providing warmth and light for the figures around it. One of them, a young man who could not have been more than seventeen or eighteen, lay shivering under a blanket, his skin flushed and sweaty. A large cut across his forehead marred the otherwise perfection of his face. He was breathing heavily, his injuries taking their toll upon his body.

The other figure, a masked warrior, was eyeing the first figure wearily with his crimson eyes. He was wearing a dark blue exoskeleton, a type of garment made of cloth that was strong and durable. It stretched tight over his body, showing a lean and slender figure with muscles honed by years of training. A tabard displaying a red, bleeding eye covered his chest. Bandages covered his lower arms, hiding several knives. The cowl of the tabard covered the lower half of his face, and a fringe of blond hair fell down to cover one of his eyes. The Sheikah warrior was worried.

It had all gone wrong after the Hero of Time had entered the temple beneath the lake. He had been in there for far too long. After a whole day had passed and still no sign of the Hero, the Sheikah had been planning to enter the temple to search for him, even though this would break the tradition. Truth to be told, the Sheikah had been ready to forsake everything he had been taught since he was old enough to stand on his own. Traditions and culture meant very little if there was no world in which to honour them. He had been relieved when he saw the lake fill up with water again and a blue light descended from the sky, forming a pillar on the platform on which the temple's symbol was proudly carved. A dark figure had come down the shaft of light, forming a very familiar silhouette.

Panic had made itself known, however, when the Hero had collapsed on the platform, his form bleeding and his clothes ripped to shreds. The Sheikah had rushed to the fallen Hero, immediately going to work on healing him, stripping him of his ruined tunic and leggings. When he was sure he had bandaged every single wound on his body, he had wrapped the Hero in a blanket and laid him down, starting a fire to warm his shivering form. There was little the Sheikah could do after apart from waiting for the Hero to wake up so he could be given a red potion that would speed up the healing.

What happened to you? The Sheikah thought. Surely the monster inside could not have done this? Fair enough, the Hero had emerged from both the Forest and Fire temples a bit worse for the wear, but always with a smile on his face and smug air of satisfaction around him. The Sheikah was embarrassed to think about this since he was not supposed to have any contact with the Hero apart from when he taught him the teleportation songs for the temples, but it was hard to leave after the Hero had entered them. There was just something about the golden-haired youth that was so alluring… therefore, the Sheikah had made a compromise. He did not reveal himself to the Hero when he finished the temples, he merely…observed him. His ancestors would probably disapprove, but his habit had truly meant something good this time. What could have happened if the Sheikah had not been there when the Hero emerged from the lake? Some of the wounds were quite serious, and the Hero would have died of blood loss if he had not stopped the bleeding and bandaged them up.

The Hero coughed, making the Sheikah leap to attention. It was a pained cough, one that spoke of agony beyond words. Within seconds, the Sheikah was crouched by the Hero's side, listening carefully for obstructed airways or worse.

"Are you awake, Hero?" he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he hadn't awoken. Sleep is the best way to heal, he had been taught. He was about to sit back again, but a weak voice froze him.

"Hurts…" whispered the Hero, his voice a croak from sleep and injuries.

"I know, Hero," said the Sheikah gently. He picked up the backpack which lay forgotten by the fire and rummaged around inside until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a bottle filled with a red liquid. He almost shuddered when he remembered what it tasted like. But if the Hero was to heal, then this was what would make it happen. He uncorked it, lifted the Hero's head carefully and put the bottle gently to his lips. "Drink this, Hero; it will make the pain go away faster."

Whimpering, the hero drank greedily of the bottle, wincing at the taste. It was at times like these that the Sheikah was reminded that the Great Hero of Time was really nothing more than a boy in an adult's body, his mind having been sealed away for seven long years until the Goddesses saw him fit to start his quest to rid the land of evil. It was at times like these that the Sheikah warrior realised he truly hated the Goddesses for what they had done to an innocent boy like this.

He had seen the Hero once when they were both young boys. The green-clad boy with the fairy had carefully entered the courtyard where the princess had been spying on the utterly evil man visiting the castle. The Sheikah had been watching from the roof. He may have been young, but had still been charged with protecting the princess.

Speaking of which, where was the Hero's fairy now? The little, glowing, blue creature had been missing when the Hero had arrived.

"Hero," the Sheikah said softly. "Where is your fairy?"

The Hero's eyes, which had been closed until now, shot open. "Navi!" the Hero exclaimed, and immediately began to cough, aggravating his wounds. The Sheikah waited until the fit calmed down, holding the Hero down gently but firmly with a hand on his chest. "She…she protected me from…my…my shadow."

"Shadow?" asked the Sheikah, raising a delicate eyebrow. He had heard of the Evil King creating duplicates of people and sending them to terrorise the countryside, but had he truly created one of the Hero himself? He could have, he reminded himself, he did create a copy of himself in the Forest Temple.

"Yes…shadow…" The Hero coughed again. "He…attacked me…in a room…filled with haze…I defeated him the first time, but he came back after…after I killed the monster…Navi saw him first…she protected me from his attack…but…she was so small…"

The Sheikah silenced him with a finger to his lips. The Sheikah understood. The fairy had sacrificed herself to save the Hero. The Sheikah thanked the fairy in his mind, praying that her spirit had gone to a better place. "And then you fought your shadow again?" he asked.

The Hero didn't answer, but nodded weakly. "He was so…strong."

"Just as strong as you, I expect," said the Sheikah. He saw that the Hero was nodding off to sleep again. "Rest, Hero. I will keep watch."

The Hero was gone almost immediately, but not before whispering: "Thank…you…Sheik."

Sheik smiled softly under his cowl. "You're welcome, Hero." He stood up and looked around. Now that the monster in the temple had been destroyed, the dark influence surrounding the lake was gone. Surely the Hero would be safe now? Just for a little while? He pulled out his lyre and plucked a small tune that the Hero did not know, one that would teleport Sheik inside the Water Temple. He closed his eyes as the coloured lights surrounded him, lifted him, took him inside the temple…

When he opened his eyes, he was aware he was neck-deep in water. The light from the lit torches bounced off the calm water and created beautiful patterns on the walls of the central chamber.

He swam to the pillar-like structure in the middle of the chamber and climbed onto the small walkway. He huffed, annoyed that he had gotten wet. The whole point of teleporting inside was to prevent himself getting wet. He shook his head and spied the raised platform on the other side of the room. A dragon's head with a familiar surface stared back at him. The Hero had to use a Longshot to get over there, but Sheik merely jumped over to it.

A gigantic door stood before him, next to which lay a large padlock and a pair of chains. A discarded key with a blue gem set inside lay next to it. Behind the door, a sharp incline with several bladed traps moving side to side presented a challenge…had they actually been moving. It seemed that with the evil inside gone, all the traps and creatures had either vanished or just…died.

The door at the top of the incline opened into a large room. It was square in shape, and spikes lined the walls. In the middle, a rectangular pool with four pillars jutting from the floor stood empty. Sheik nodded, content that the amoeba that had inhabited the pool was dead and gone. But this was not why he was there. He looked around more carefully, and saw something shining in the corner of the empty pool. He lowered himself to the floor inside and walked over. It was the fairy. Her little body shone brightly even in death. Her wings were torn apart, and an ugly cut went across her stomach. Sheik carefully picked hero body up in his hand, ready to teleport out of the temple when a hoarse snicker caught his attention.

Across from where the fairy had been, a formless mass of pure darkness was shifting and moving, two red eyes similar to his own staring at him. It snickered again. "So, the hero sent his slave to get his fairy…" it stated with a voice that was both far away and very close at the same time.

"Be silent, Shadow," said Sheik firmly and drew out a dagger. "Or I shall end you."

The mass snickered again. "Now I'm scared…if My Light could not kill me, then how can you?"

Sheik replaced the dagger again, knowing it was true. The Hero wielded The Master Sword, and only he could vanquish his own shadow. Ignoring the now laughing shadow, Sheik pulled out his lyre and played the Serenade of Water, which would bring him back to the sleeping Hero.

"I know what hurts My Light, Sheikah!" shouted the shadow as Sheik was swept away. "Next time, I'll be coming for you!"

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 2**

The Hero's condition had not changed when Sheik arrived on the little island. His skin colour _had_ darkened a bit, signifying that the potion was doing its job by replacing the lost blood. It would take some time, however, for the biggest wounds to close and heal. The Hero could expect some nasty scars as well. Sheik carefully wrapped Navi's body in a blanket and put it next to the fire. The Hero would probably want to see her when he woke up, if not to confirm that she was actually gone then at least to say his final goodbyes.

Having done this, Sheik once again sat down by the fire, staring into the dancing flames. It was something he could do for hours upon hours. If he looked close enough, the darkness between the flames would sometimes assume humanoid forms, dancing gracefully in the inferno surrounding them. Sheik's aunt had called them fire spirits, or fire pixies. Sheik loved them. It was so peaceful, and it gave him time to think about everything and nothing.

_What did he mean, come after me? He's defeated, he has no form anymore…and no one will enter that temple again, so he won't be able to kill anyone and nurture himself…_ The shadow's threat hadn't rattled him at all. Sheik was a warrior; he could take care of himself. No, what made him think about over and over again was the part about the shadow knowing what hurt the Hero. Surely the Hero did not like Sheik enough that it would cripple him if the Sheikah got hurt.

Another whimper made Sheik look at the sleeping form. The Hero's entire body was shivering, and he was mumbling.

"No…please don't…don't kill her…Navi…"

Sheik shook his head sympathetically. He was dreaming of his fairy's death, a nightmare that most likely would haunt him for years onwards. Sheik gritted his teeth, clenching his jaws for fear of voicing his thoughts about the unfairness of legends and the will of gods. The Hero continued mumbling. Sheik could not stand it anymore. He rose and walked to the Hero, crouching down. The Hero was sweating heavily, and his breath came out laboured, like he was running. Sheik tugged at the bandages on his right hand and, upon freeing the limb, laid it upon the Hero's brow. The Hero sighed in relief. He was burning up. Infection had set in his wounds. Sheik observed the sky, and saw that it was starting to lighten. Dawn was approaching fast.

He decided that upon first light, the Hero was going to Lon Lon Ranch. There, Sheik could leave the Hero in safety and travel faster to Kakariko Village, fetch more medicine and return to heal him. As it was, there was little Sheik could do but wait. It would be far too dangerous to travel across the plains in the dark, where the Evil King's men would be waiting and ambushing unwary travellers.

_Hold on, Hero,_ he thought. At that moment, Sheik noticed he was shivering too. The exoskeleton had absorbed quite a bit of water, and had soaked Sheik to the bone. Leaning against the tree, close to the fire, he waited for his body to warm and his clothes to dry. The sun was rising painfully slow. By his calculations, it would be at least a couple of hours until it would creep over the mountains and cast its light on Hyrule. As he sat there, a thought struck him. _How did he gain an infection so fast? I cleaned and bandaged the wounds right after he showed up._ Without noticing, he began to nod off. The warmth from the fire was so comforting…

_Oh gods, I fell asleep!_

He woke with a start and looked around wildly. No one had attacked them in their sleep, thankfully, but Sheik's face burned with shame as he packed up the little campsite. He stepped on the glowing embers of the fire and came face to face with a conundrum. How was he going to get the Hero to Lon Lon? Sheik usually relied on either playing teleporting songs or his deku nuts to travel, and neither of them could be used by two people at the same time. He was thinking about this when he spotted the Hero's ocarina, the Ocarina of Time. He always played the blue flute-like instrument when he was bored or distressed, Sheik knew. He had observed the Hero many nights where the green-clad teen had picked it up and just started playing anything. And he was good at it. Sheik had never heard so many beautiful melodies played by the same person on the same instrument.

There was one song he always favoured when he had his horse around, though… Sheik remembered. _His horse!_ He carefully picked up the ocarina, holding it reverently in his hands. _Can I do this?_ he asked himself. He already knew the answer. He had no choice. He lowered his cowl, put the mouthpiece to his lips, and blew. It was a strange feeling that came over him. It felt like the whole world was listening to the notes issuing forth from the instrument. Was this how the Hero felt all the time when he played it? Sheik stopped blowing and looked at the instrument. He had to shake his head to clear the feeling from it.

He tried to remember how the song went. It was a fairly simple one, he remembered, consisting of eleven notes. He experimented until he found the right combination. Strange, notes and scales on his lyre were imprinted in his mind, but he felt clumsy when trying to play this simple ocarina. Suddenly, the notes appeared in his mind, and Sheik played the song known as Epona's song.

Sheik waited. Nothing happened. When the Hero played it, the horse had always showed up within seconds. How the horse always knew where he was, was a mystery which Sheik attributed to the magic in the ocarina…and it seemed the horse was able to sense who was playing and decided not to come. Which was why he was surprised when the sound of hooves clacking on wood approached him from behind. He turned around and spotted the brown horse with the white mane cautiously approaching the campsite. Sheik noticed she was staring at her unconscious owner…and eyeing Sheik with suspicion.

He sighed quietly and slowly walked to her. She backed away. Sheik stopped.

"Listen to me," he said, hoping she understood. "He is very badly hurt, and must go to Lon Lon Ranch. Please, let me ride you so I can take him there."

Epona seemed to study Sheik carefully, her eyes roaming all over him, perhaps to identify any body language that proved threatening to both her master and herself. She snorted and came over to the extinguished fire, throwing her head around as if impatient.

Sheik wasted no time in bundling up the hero and placing him in the saddle. Afterwards, he gathered his pack and carefully put Navi's body inside. He swung the pack on his shoulder, and, light as a feather, sprang up in Epona's saddle. He made sure the Hero was comfortable, and made him lean against Sheik's chest so he wouldn't slide off. Sheik put his arms under the Hero's and grabbed the reins. He leant forward. "To Lon Lon Ranch," he said, and Epona immediately took off.

To say the residents of the ranch were surprised when Sheik came riding up on Epona, a horse that only tolerated two people in all of Hyrule to even be near her, would be an understatement. The surprise quickly turned to shock and panic when it became apparent who was sitting in front of the masked Sheikah. Talon was the first to react and, without uttering a single word, caught the unconscious hero and took him inside, leaving Sheik and the red-haired girl, Malon, alone outside. Sheik slid off Epona who, as if she owned the place, walked off to the big horse pen and started eating. Sheik made a note to give her an extra large helping of carrots when this was done and the Hero was okay.

"What happened?" asked Malon suddenly, worry all over her face. "And who are you?"

"He…was ambushed," Sheik answered. That was the best way he could describe it. "His wounds are infected; I am going to Kakariko to find better medicine. Is there a doctor on the ranch?"

Malon shook her head. "No, but I know a bit about redressing and cleaning wounds…"

"Good," said Sheik. "Do what you can for him. I will be back as soon as I can." Sheik didn't even give her time to respond as he pulled out a deku nut, threw it to the ground and teleported away. None of them saw the farmhand, Ingo, spying on them from around the corner, rubbing his hands together and grinning evilly.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 3**

Every second felt like an eternity as Sheik waited for the old woman behind the counter to mix a potion that would kill off the Hero's infection. The woman, who had known Sheik since he was young, knew not to ask questions when the young man, who had always acted in a calm and dignified manner, looked close to panic.

_If the hero dies…_The consequences were unthinkable. Perhaps the Evil King would be satisfied with what he had when he only possessed one piece of the triforce…or maybe he would destroy the entire world because he could. Sheik started tapping his finger on the counter unconsciously.

"I am making it as fast as I can, lad," said the old crone in an annoyed huff.

Sheik ceased the tapping, embarrassed that he had even started doing it. Sheikah were _not_ impatient, and they most _certainly_ did not start fidgeting when they were waiting for something. That's what he kept repeating in his mind. But he soon found his thoughts surrendering to speculation about what the Hero's shadow had said.

_Perhaps he meant that it would hurt Hero since he is, essentially, clueless without me? Yes, that must be it…_

Truly, the Hero could not be hurt enough by Sheik's death to start mourning him. He had barely spoken to the Hero, and when he did, it was only to teach him a new song or tell him where to go next. Of course, the Hero wasn't satisfied by the purely necessary contact with Sheik and kept trying getting Sheik to stay and talk. Sheik had always found a deku nut handy at those moments, though, and had disappeared in a flash every time.

It was…touching, he supposed, that the Hero of Time wanted to get better acquainted with a lowly Sheikah guide, but Sheik needed to make sure the Hero continued his quest instead of getting sidetracked by things such as friendships…

It was harsh, he knew, but the Evil King did not stop his search for the princess, and every day that passed was a day closer to his success. It was unfair. It was truly unfair.

A light cough from behind the counter shook him from his thoughts. The old woman was holding out a package to him. "There's a bottle he needs to drink and ointment that must be spread on his wounds," she said tersely. She may have known the masked warrior since he was a small child, but she did not appreciate almost having her door knocked down by him.

"Thank you," Sheik said earnestly and teleported back to Lon Lon Ranch.

Appearing outside the main building on the ranch, Sheik raced inside, dodging rabid cuccoos that tried to peck his eyes out, jumping over the sleeping Talon, all the while wondering how the man could possibly sleep when the one who had saved his ranch was dying in the next room. He burst through the door at the top of the stairs, making Malon jump in shock.

"Thank the goddesses you're here," she said and pointed at the form lying in the bed. "He's getting worse." She carried a bowl filled with cold water over to the bed and dabbed at his forehead with a soaked cloth. "His fever's rising."

Sheik had to take a second to compose himself. He quickly moved over to the bed, opening the old woman's package. Inside were a bottle filled with a garish blue-green liquid and a small capsule filled with a pale grey cream with green bits of plants in it. Sheik sniffed at it, wincing from the strong smell.

"Did you redress his wounds?" Sheik asked as he uncorked the bottle.

"Not all of them," she admitted, sounding ashamed. Sheik gazed at her curiously, to which she started blushing deeply. "There were some bandages…down there…"

_Embarrassed? At a time like this? Good grief!_ Sheik had to fight down an urge to roll his eyes and shake his head. He focused on the Hero and felt his forehead. It was boiling hot. The Hero's body was fighting back the infection with all its might, but even a strong body like Hero's had its breaking point.

"Hero?" he asked loudly. "Can you hear me?" The Hero didn't respond, causing a pang of worry in Sheik's head. He couldn't have slipped off into an eternal sleep already? Clenching his jaw, Sheik delivered a resounding slap to the Hero's cheek.

"Wha…what's hap…happening?" asked the Hero, half of his words never making it out of his mouth.

Sheik wasted no time in cupping the bottle to his lips for the second time in what felt like too few hours. "Drink it, Hero." The Hero seemed to remember his voice and carefully sipped at the bottle, his face twisting when the revolting taste made itself evident. The Hero started to pull away from the bottle, but Sheik's hand held his head in place. "You need to drink it, no matter how disgusting it is," Sheik told the Hero firmly, who complied.

The Hero shuddered after every single drop in the bottle was gone, and Sheik really couldn't blame him. Potions or any other type of medicine that was supposedly good for you was never appealing to the taste buds.

After putting away the bottle, Sheik took out the ointment capsule. He turned to Malon. "I need to apply this to his wounds. I suggest you step outside, if only to preserve his dignity."

She blushed again and left, leaving Sheik to his work. Peeling of the bandages, he grimaced at the ugly colour the wounds had turned. They had not been this bad at the lake. He first turned to a shallow cut he had received to the Hero's thigh, close to…certain anatomical parts. Smearing the ointment in and around the cut, he felt the Hero wince. Sheik ignored him and continued, spreading the lotion over the numerous cuts and bruises he had suffered in his fight against his own shadow.

_These wounds haven't all been caused by his shadow, surely?_

When he was done with the ointment, he called on Malon to bring him a needle and some thread. Some of the wounds and opened wider when they had ridden to the ranch and needed to be sewn closed lest more dirt and filth getting into them and infecting the Hero anew.

He looked the Hero over. All the major wounds were sewn shut, and the medicine seemed to be working. His temperature was already dropping, and his skin was losing its pallor. Sheik sighed with relief and sank into the chair next to the bed. The Hero would live, it seemed. He grabbed the blanket and covered the Hero up again. Sheik felt his forehead again and nodded in satisfaction. He paused his hand over the Hero's cheek, however, and gently stroked his knuckles on the silky skin.

Sheik recoiled when he realised what he was doing. This was _not_ appropriate behaviour for a Sheikah guide. He had to admit, the Hero was a truly handsome man and, had it not been for the terrible war, would probably have been the heartthrob wherever he went. Sheik shook his head. _What am I thinking? I must be tired…_ He opened a window and saw that it was dark outside. He had been attending to the Hero the whole day.

A tentative series of knocks came upon the door, and Malon entered slowly, afraid of disturbing them. "Am I bothering you?" she asked.

Sheik shook his head. "No, it's fine. He is healing now, thank you for your help."

Now it was her turn to shake her head. "It's nothing really, this is the least we could do for the one who saved the ranch."

Sheik nodded. He had been quite amazed when the Hero had not only won Epona fair and square in a race with the shifty-looking, so-called "owner" of the ranch, but even managed to escape with the horse when the owner tried to lock him in. The former farmhand, Ingo, had quickly been overcome by fear of the Evil King and given the ranch back to Talon, and life continued like it had before the takeover.

It was decided that Sheik was to sleep in the other bed inside the main house while Malon and Talon slept downstairs in the guest room. There was no question of moving the Hero now that he was getting better, and both father and daughter wouldn't hear of anything else. Sheik, wary of falling asleep again after the fiasco at the lake, sat on a chair in the corner, observing the dark room. The Hero was sleeping peacefully now, no whimpers or murmurs coming from him. A faint glow from his backpack reminded Sheik of the dreadful reality he had to slap the Hero in the face with when he woke up.

Several hours passed by in silence. Somewhere in the next room, a cuccoo was clucking excitedly about something or other. A cow mooed in its sleep from the stables. A horse snickered from the large pen outside. Something crackled, like a merry fire.

…_merry fire?_ Sheik asked himself and opened the window shutters. The storage room at the other end of the ranch property was on fire, a bright red flame jutting from one of the windows. Already, Talon was moving his considerable bulk over to the burning building, two heavy buckets of water swinging in his hands. Sheik was already on his way to the door when Malon knocked, asking for assistance in putting the blaze out.

Smoke was filling the air, and the horses in the pen had all moved to the other side, as far away from the flames as possible. The grass next to the storage room had also caught fire, and the blaze was steadily moving towards the pen.

Luckily, the storage room wasn't very large, so the fire was quickly put out, but the wares and stored goods inside were all burnt beyond recognition. As Talon wiped his brow and thanked Sheik, the Sheikah noticed that someone was missing.

"Where is your farmhand?" he asked Talon, who looked confused for a second before looking around.

"I don't know," he said. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him all day."

"He's probably sulking in the stables," said Malon. "He didn't like that you brought Link here, I think. He kept glaring at him when father brought him inside…" She trailed off as Sheik quickly ran back to the main building, his heart beating like a drum.

_How could I have been so foolish?_

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 4**

In the darkness of the room, the Hero slept deeply, unaware of the events outside. The medicine had put him in such deep sleep that even dreams did not come to him.

Something glinted in the dark. The blade of a knife. A deep chuckle emanated from a dark corner.

"You'll pay for humiliating me like that, kid. Thanks to you, I have to work for that fool Talon again," Ingo whispered, letting the blade dance lightly across the Hero's face, as if unsure where to cut first. Ingo looked out the window and saw that the blaze had already been put out, but he was certain he had enough time. Just to be sure, however, he looked closer at the figures standing in front of the ruined storage room. One fat one, one slim one with long hair…and that was it. His eyes widened. "Oh, no…"

He raised the knife quickly, intending to plunge it deep into the Hero's throat, a wound no one could possibly survive from. He never had the time. The door slammed open, and something thudded into Ingo's side.

**Thud!**

**Thud!**

**Thud!**

It was like being hit by carrots, Ingo thought. Then he looked down to where the impacts had come from. Three daggers jutted out from his side, blood pouring down and staining his white trousers and forming little puddles on the floor. He looked back to the door. A foot collided with his face, knocking him away from the bed. He crashed into the dining table in the middle of the room, falling head over heels over on the other side.

Sheik was on him like a furious cat, pulling him up from the floor and giving him a vicious kick in the stomach and another in his chest, which sent him flying out the window. The only sound confirming what had just happened was the splintering of the crate that stood directly under the window.

Immediately, Sheik went to the Hero's side, checking him for wounds. There were none. Ingo hadn't made a single mark on him. Sheik sighed in relief and went over to the window, looking out. Ingo's body had completely annihilated the crate, his arms and legs sticking out at awkward angles. Talon and Malon had run over and were looking at the mangled mess that had once been a farmhand. Malon gasped and buried her face in Talon's shoulder. Her father patted her on the back and led her back into the main house. He settled her back in the guest room and then came up the stairs with a lantern in his hand.

"Is he okay?" asked the plump man, looking worried. "I'm so sorry; I should've known Ingo would try something like this." He spat the name out like it was poison, making his dislike of the gangly farmhand quite evident.

"The Hero is fine, Mr. Talon," said Sheik evenly. "I got to him before anything happened."

Talon looked down at the body in the crate. "I didn't want to take him back, you know, after what he did," he said. "I was going to throw him out on his ass like he did with me when Ganondorf gave him the ranch, but Malon…sweet, sweet Malon wanted me to give him another chance."

Sheik wasn't surprised. He would probably have done the same if he had been betrayed in the same manner.

"He never liked going back to being a farmhand, though," continued Talon. "He said he was grateful for being allowed to work here again, but I saw the looks he gave me when he thought I wasn't looking." He spat at the body. "Good riddance."

"I will get rid of the body," said Sheik and went to jump out the window, but Talon's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"No, I will do it. He's caused you two enough trouble as it is, first the Epona business and now this…" Talon nodded again and went outside, his lantern bobbing as he started on his grim task.

Sheik went back to checking on the Hero. He was surprised at Talon's demeanour. All the times he had seen him previously, the ranch owner seemed to be an incredibly lazy man, sleeping day and night, leaving most of the work to his daughter and former worker apart from when deliveries had to be made. But after Sheik arrived with the wounded Hero, he had changed his personality completely.

_He knows he owes everything he has today to L…the Hero,_ he thought, hearing faint shovelling sounds…and ignoring the slip-up. _And he's completely right._

He looked down at the oblivious Hero, who had no idea that his life had almost ended that night. "That's three times, Hero, that I have saved your life in the past two days. How many more will it be?" he whispered.

Talon had returned and went to bed at around four in the morning, first checking up on the Hero and Sheik and returning Sheik's daggers, which Sheik cleaned right away. Talon had buried Ingo in the far corner of the field, not even putting up a marker. "He didn't deserve one," he had gruffly told Sheik before retiring.

Sheik kept watch until the sun rose and the cucco signalled the beginning of the day. It was no wonder the Hero waited the animals, the way they made such a racked in the morning. Many were the times Sheik had watched in exasperation as the Hero picked a fight with one too many of the birds and had almost been eaten alive.

And the worst part of it all was that the Hero never learned from the small mistakes he did. It was the same with enemies he encountered. If he failed to kill it by a direct charge the first time, he wouldn't figure out how to kill it until his sixth try, at which point his fairy would shout for him to get his act together. The Hero was lucky his natural charisma and good looks covered him in social interaction, or he would never have been able to survive in Hyrule.

Malon had been quite shaken by the night's events and stayed in bed, and Talon checked up on them again before getting started on the things that needed to be done on the ranch, such as milking the cows and collecting the eggs from the cucco perches.

Sheik was prepared for a day of waiting and protecting the Hero until a sharp cry pierced the air. The Sheikah quickly ran to the window and looked up to the sky. A small dot was rapidly growing larger over the main building. Sheik jumped out, being careful to avoid the ruined crate. He barely had time to hold out his arm before Kaiza, the princess' personal messenger falcon perched on it. Her claws dug into Sheik's exoskeleton, nearly scratching his skin, although in Kaiza's case it would be more tearing than scratching. She expectantly held out her leg, on which a roll of paper was tied. Sheik took it off and, when Kaiza didn't move, realised this was a message that needed to be replied too.

He went inside, making sure that neither Talon nor Malon saw him. They were allies and loyal to the princess, but no one but Sheik was supposed to know about Kaiza. He could no longer rely on the gossip stones to deliver messages to the princess as Ganondorf had figured out how to use them to his own advantage. Sheik's standing orders at the moment were to destroy the stones wherever he found them.

He unrolled the paper on the dining table, immediately recognising the neat, curved handwriting as the princess'.

_**S,**_

_**Three days have passed since you reported that L had gone inside the Water Temple, and not one word has arrived from you since. Write back as soon as this message finds you!**_

_**P.**_

Sheik shook his head at the terse message. _Always straight to the point,_ he thought. _When she is worried, she writes even less than I do._

He found no paper to reply on, and used the back of the original message instead. He pulled out a piece of coal from the hearth and sharpened it with a knife. Then he wrote his reply.

_**P,**_

_**L has been gravely injured, and their companion is dead. Condition is stable as of now, but I fear that L will need more time to recuperate. There is also the matter of L's companion. Without the companion, L has no one to guide him. I will stay and protect L until rejuvenation, awaiting your answer.**_

_**S.**_

It was hard to keep the individuals involved completely anonymous _and_ write cohesive sentences, but Sheik was satisfied with it and confident he had summed up the situation well enough. He tied the little roll of paper back on Kaiza's leg. She looked at him with what passed for a worried expression for a falcon. Sheik smiled under his cowl and gently stroked her head.

"I will be fine, do not worry," he said and carried her to the window. She took off and disappeared quickly. She was the fastest of the royal falcons, and it was for this precise reason she was used exclusively for flying messages between the princess and Sheik. She was smart too, as well as mischievous. Once, at one of the few occasions Sheik slept at the hideout, she had dropped a dead mouse on his chest just as he woke up. He had, of course, brushed it off calmly, but when he had seen the clearly amused look she gave him, he had glared at her. The mirth in her eyes had been close to insufferable.

The day passed endlessly slow. The Hero kept sleeping, and Sheik had little else to do but wait. After a couple of hours, he decided to bury the fairy, not knowing whether or not the body would start to decompose. He didn't want to take any chances, though, and having another possible source of infection so close to the Hero was not favourable.

He asked Talon where he could do so, and the corpulent man had pointed him to the solitary tree close to the house. Sheik buried Navi underneath it, cutting—with permission from Talon—her name into the trunk. At least the tree wouldn't forgot who was buried among its roots.

He regularly checked the Hero's wounds, daring any of them to get infected again. They didn't, and several of them had already closed thanks to the potion and ointment. The Hero's consciousness, however, did not return. Every now and then, he would mumble, which Sheik took as a good sign. His fever was almost gone as well.

The sun was setting again before the familiar cry pierced the air again, and Kaiza flew in the window, settling on the table. Sheik unrolled the paper and stroked her head while he read.

_**S,**_

_**It's good to know that L is okay. I'm sorry for the loss of their companion, please inform them of this when they wake up.**_

_**This loss sets us back somewhat. Without a companion and guide, L will struggle with their tasks. S, I need you to back them up when in trouble. You are hereby ordered to assist L in whatever way you can.**_

_**Also, I has informed me of an old enemy in Kakariko that has woken up due to Ganondorf's evil influence. They have gone there to seal it up, but has left a package for you in their old house in case they are unsuccessful. There is something in it L needs if they are to challenge the house of the dead.**_

_**Good luck, to both of you.**_

_**P.**_

Sheik nodded to himself. _Just as I suspected._ He was now to assume the role of the fairy, albeit in a bigger scale, he supposed.

He frowned. _The monster beneath the well has awoken? Impa was barely able to seal up the first time, and now she's older, weaker…_ He had to mentally slap himself for what he had just thought about his aunt. _She could break me in half if she wished…and she would if she heard me implying she's aging._

But still…he was worried. He felt that he should be in Kakariko, assisting his only living relative. She may have been strict and harsh with him, but only because it was necessary so he would be capable of protecting the princess and helping the Hero in the coming years. She was his aunt…

Sheik looked at the sleeping form in the bed. _Please wake up soon, Hero. Your presence is needed!_

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 5**

Sheik had taken to sitting on the roof of the house when he was sure the Hero didn't need him for a while. From there, he got an amazing view of Hyrule, almost being able to see from one end of the plains to the other. At the moment, he was staring at the mountain pass where Kakariko village lay nestled among the peaks, the most notable being the circular caldera of Death Mountain. The perpetual smoke ring had finally lost its evil taint and returned to the normal grey colour. Sheik remembered how the Hero had looked when he emerged from the Fire Temple, blisters, burns and bruises everywhere. Even his blisters had blisters on them. And Sheik hadn't even done anything when the Hero collapsed halfway down the mountain trail. He felt…guilty. But what other choice did he have? His orders had been clear: do not interact with the Hero apart from teaching him the songs. The Hero was lucky that a Goron had found him.

Impa was somewhere in Kakariko right now, most likely in the Shadow Temple to fight the monster inside. Sheik knew little of it except that it had once been a Sheikah, corrupted by the influence of darkness. He looked at the sun. Judging by its position, three hours had passed since he had checked on the Hero last. He swung himself through the window, landing lightly on the floor. No change in the Hero. It both comforted and bothered Sheik. Comforted because the infection had not come back, and bothered because he still hadn't woken up. He was about to return to the roof when stirring sounds from the bed made him look back sharply.

"Hm…phr…sh…" said the Hero.

Sheik walked back to the bed and seated himself on the chair. "Are you awake?" he asked.

The Hero's eyes did not open, but his movements clearly indicated that he was coming around. "Whe…where am I?" he asked, voice cracking and hoarse from disuse.

Anticipating this, Sheik had already fished out a bottle of water. "You are at Lon Lon Ranch, Hero. You've been sick. Would you like some water?" At the Hero's nod, Sheik slowly poured the water into his mouth, careful so he wouldn't choke on it. When the bottle was half-empty, Sheik removed it. The Hero groaned in protest. "Your body needs to adjust," he said sternly. "You can have some more later."

"S…Sheik?" asked the Hero. "Is that…you?"

"Who else would it be?" asked Sheik.

To his surprise, the Hero smiled weakly, his eyes opening slowly. Sheik found himself momentarily entranced by the aqua-coloured pools behind his eyelids, a deeper blue than the water in Lake Hylia. "What…happened?" the Hero asked.

_Focus!_ Sheik mentally shouted at himself. He avoided looking into the other's eyes and instead kept his attention on a wound on the Hero's shoulder. "You don't remember?" The Hero shook his head. "You were ambushed after defeating the monster in the Water Temple."

Now it seemed the Hero remembered. His eyes widened slightly, and his gaze darted around the room. "Navi!" he exclaimed. "I left her there!" Tears were gathering in the corners of the Hero's eyes, and they soon started sliding down his cheeks.

Sheik put a hand on his shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "Calm down, Hero. I recovered her body."

"Then where is she?"

Sheik jerked his head to the window. "I put her to rest under the big tree outside." He looked down, realising how stupid it was now. "I suppose she would have preferred to be buried in Kokiri Forest, but—"

"No," the Hero interrupted him. "She…she would've wanted to be buried out here, in Hyrule. She loved it out here, you know." He trailed off, seemingly lost in a fond memory, probably about the fairy. He snapped out of it soon enough. "My Shadow," he growled. "Is it still alive?"

Sheik was suddenly struck by a dilemma. If he told the Hero that his Shadow was still…conscious, if not incorporeal, in the Water Temple, he would surely return there to finish it off. But that could have negative consequences. If Sheik understood the nature of shadow creatures correctly, then they fed off the negative feelings of the ones they had been created from. Sheik was not sure whether or not the Hero would be able to keep his emotions at bay if he met the creature that had killed his fairy again. If he didn't, then the Shadow could regain its strength, and another fight would occur…and this time, the Hero might not make it.

On the other hand, if Sheik said it was no longer existent, and it _did_ regain its strength, then it could ambush them at a later date—if it managed to escape the Water Temple, of course, something he found highly unlikely considering its weakened form when Sheik had gone inside the temple. He came to a decision.

"No, Hero. It was dead when I when I found it," Sheik said, hoping it was true.

The Hero seemed to relax now, sighing and letting his head fall back on the pillow, something he regretted, it seemed, since he gasped and clenched his eyes shut. "At least I…avenged Navi," he whispered.

"Yes…" said Sheik, hoping the Hero didn't notice the doubt in his voice.

For the second time in five minutes, Hero's eyes widened and looked at Sheik. "You're…still here?"

_What the blazes is he talking abou…oh,_ Sheik thought. He nodded. "Yes, I'm still here."

"Why? All the other times I've seen you, you disappeared as soon as you taught me the teleport song." There was a slight hint of…hurt in his voice. And anger and bitterness, Sheik noted.

"Because I've been charged to protect you until you've fully recovered, Hero." _And because I worried,_ he admitted to himself.

"Why?"

"Because you are the Hero of Time."

"I see…" The Hero didn't like the answer, Sheik knew. But it was the truth. He was the lost hope of Hyrule, and Sheik was his…guardian, and now companion. He noticed the Hero was dozing off again and quietly left the room, returning to the roof…and his thoughts.

Two days passed, and the Hero was now fully awake, though he still needed to stay in bed. Most of his wounds were firmly closed now, and Sheik could soon remove the stitches. _The wonders of the red potion,_ he thought. He was avoiding the Hero. Both because he didn't wish to be the focus of the Hero's anger at the loss of companion—something he clearly thought could have been prevented if Sheik had been there as well—, and because he felt ashamed by the answer he had given him.

He had realised after the second time the Hero woke up that he could not think clearly whenever the Hero looked at him. There was just something about the way his gaze locked with Sheik's and kept it there. The Sheikah found himself unable and…unwilling, to break it. This was something he needed to overcome if he was to be of any help to the Hero.

A door opening and shuffling footsteps caught his attention, and Sheik leant over the edge of the roof and looked down. The Hero had adorned his green tunic and cap again—the blue ones he was given by King Zora having been torn to pieces—and was, with the help of Malon, limping across the yard, towards the tree where the fairy lay buried.

The Hero lowered himself to his knees in front of it while Malon went back inside to give him his peace. Sheik observed him. He wasn't crying. In fact, he was smiling at the little mound of disturbed earth, and it grew a bit when he saw her name carved into the tree. His gaze found Sheik's quickly, the Hero knowing where he liked to sit and think by himself. He smiled at the Sheikah and signalled for him to come down.

Wary, Sheik did so and slowly approached the grave. Was the Hero going to lash out now?

"I'm sorry…for being mean to you," the Hero said unexpectedly, causing Sheik to pause slightly in his step. Once again, the Sheikah was reminded that this was still an eleven-year-old boy in an eighteen-year-old body.

He shook his head. "It was nothing, Hero. You were angry, frustrated and filled with grief."

"No, it's not 'nothing', Sheik," said the green-clad teen. "You've saved my life three times now, and all I do in return is to yell at you. How can you possibly just accept that? If I were you, I would have punched me or something."

Sheik had to work that sentence out in his head for a second. "Because..." He really couldn't figure out anything to say. _Because you are the Hero of Time, and I am merely a guide, easily replaceable. I am of no importance in the bigger picture._ That's what he wanted to say, but his lips refused to utter the words. Rustling made him look up. The Hero had stood up and was shakily making his way to him. Sheik automatically stepped over to catch him when his right leg gave out.

"Sorry," said the Hero.

"It's nothing," said Sheik and assisted the Hero back inside. "You need more rest," he said matter-of-factly.

"I guess you're right," replied the Hero, yawning. He had argued himself to be relocated to the guest room downstairs, both because it was easier for him to reach the bathroom and such without having to go down stairs in his condition, but also because he was sick of depriving Talon and Malon of their beds. Sheik helped the Hero into the bed, and went to the door, back to his musings. A whisper caught his attention before the door fully closed.

"I'll make it up to you, Sheik…"

Unknowingly, a smile found its way to Sheik's lips.

"Something's going on in Kakariko," said Talon suddenly the next day. He had been packing crates filled with bottles of Lon Lon Milk close to where Sheik was meditating. The Sheikah looked up at the man and then to where he was pointing. Smoke was rising over the mountains. Sheik quickly climbed to the roof of the main house and saw that the smoke was indeed coming from the village under the volcano. "Think it's an eruption?" shouted Talon.

Sheik didn't answer and immediately took out a deku nut, worry filling his very being. _Has Impa failed? Is the village burning to the ground as we speak? _The village was the last refuge of the civilians of Hyrule, the only place Ganondorf had yet to strike. His heart was beating furiously. He was about to slam the nut into the ground and teleport when he suddenly remembered something Impa had told him many years.

"_Never use a deku nut if you cannot concentrate enough to get a clear picture of where you want to go in your mind. Terrible things can happen if you this…"_

He put the nut away, not willing to take the chance. His mind was racing with possible scenarios that were happening. He ran inside to the guest room where he had left his lyre and backpack. The Hero watched him curiously as he flew in and out of the room fast as lightning.

"What's going on?" he shouted after the Sheikah, but received no answer.

Sheik was halfway through playing the Nocturne of Shadow before he even emerged back into the setting sun. His fingers were shaking, causing him to miss the strings and play the wrong notes. After five failed attempts, he gave up and shoved the instrument back into his backpack. He was about to find Talon when the man approached with a saddled horse, apparently knowing what Sheik was about to ask.

"Maladict is the fastest horse on the ranch beside Epona," explained the man as he handed the reigns of the midnight black horse to Sheik. "He'll get you to Kakariko."

Sheik nodded his thanks and swung himself up in the saddle, taking a moment to get accustomed to sitting on a horse again. He had relied on the deku nuts and teleport songs for so long it felt alien to sit in a saddle. Maladict's head swung around to regard him with eyes blacker than the darkness between the stars. Sheik stared back, wondering if the horse was going to accept him riding it. It did, apparently, as the head swung back and nothing else happened. Sheik was about to dig his heels into Maladict's sides to get him moving when the door to the farmhouse swung open, revealing the Hero followed closely by a worried Malon. He looked at Sheik in surprise.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Sheik kept his gaze on the wall behind the Hero. "Something is happening in Kakariko Village. I'm going to check it out." He hoped the Hero didn't notice his shaking.

If he did, the Hero didn't say anything. All he did was regard Sheik with a thoughtful stare before turning back inside. "Let me get the Master Sword and my other stuff and I'll go with you."

"No!" Sheik exclaimed louder than he had meant to. The Hero turned back, surprised. "You are still injured, Hero," he explained. "You need to stay in bed. I will handle this." Without another word, he spurred on Maladict. The horse galloped away. As the sounds of his hooves slowly disappeared, the Hero looked down at the ground and thought.

"Screw this," he said quietly and looked at Malon. "Saddle up Epona, I'm going after him."

Malon was about to protest, agreeing wholeheartedly with the Sheikah that he should be in bed, but his commanding glare froze her.

"Please?" said the Hero pleadingly.

She nodded and went to the pen with Epona's saddle while the Hero went back inside for his things.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 6**

The cold wind swept his bangs aside and made his eyes water. Talon had not been lying. Maladict tore through the countryside, ignoring the monsters and other distractions, his sole target being the smoking village approaching rapidly. Sheik could see the stairs to the gate in the distance. The sun was nearly setting, casting long shadows. Sheik hoped he'd be able to reach Kakariko before dark, or the stalfos could slow him down. Dark clouds were coming down from the mountains, promising an impressive shower soon. Hopefully, it would deal with what was burning.

There was another issue that kept recurring, disturbing his concentration. After he'd left the ranch, he found himself missing the Hero. It troubled him. He hadn't been gone for more than an hour, and suddenly needed to check on him, to see if he was still alive. Fair enough, there were few things that could kill him on that ranch, but still…

It was something he needed to figure out later as Maladict jumped across the river coming from Zora's Domain. Briefly wondering if he should leave Maladict by the stairs, he was surprised when the horse took to the steps almost as fast as he galloped. It was uncomfortable, but better than climbing the endless stairs.

Leaving Maladict at the top of the stairs, Sheik ran through the village gate. The air was thick with smoke, and he could see that several buildings were on fire. There was no one there. No guards, no civilians, no one._Maybe they've been evacuated…maybe Impa told them to go to the Gorons while she dealt with the monster…_

But where was she? Sheik walked among the burning structures, keeping a close eye on his surroundings. He realised he was near the well and went over to it. The only structure not to have caught fire was the windmill, which turned slowly but surely. Sheik peered down into the now empty well, looking and listening for anything out of the ordinary. _If the monster was sealed down there…where is it now?_ He dropped a small rock down, just to be sure. It clacked as it came into contact with the stone down there. Sheik nodded and made to continue toward the graveyard when _something_ made a noise. He turned back to the well. Something was growling down there, and shuffling, like something was stuck and trying to get loose.

Footsteps approached from behind. The familiar clinking from the Hero's equipment gave him away. _When will he learn?_ he thought. Whatever was down in the well was coming up now. He narrowed his eyes. Something…what was it? It gradually became clearer and clearer, its colour a dead grey. Sheik's eyes widened. He held out an arm to warn the Hero.

"Get back, Link!" he shouted. The Hero didn't stop, but it was already too late.

A hand! It was a gigantic, misshapen hand. It stopped ascending just as the wrist appeared over the lip of the well. Sheik froze. What was he supposed to do now? His answer was clear when the fat fingers wrapped around him in a crushing grip and started throwing him around in the air. He couldn't breath, his ribs were being crushed. His vision was growing darker. He could hear faint shouts of "Sheik!" and "Let him go!" And then the air came rushing by, the pressure gone. He was falling. He opened his eyes and saw the ground fast approaching. He landed face first, scraping a little along the grass.

He felt someone—the Hero, most likely—running over to him and shake his shoulder.

"Sheik! Are you okay?" Indeed, it was the hero.

_No, I'm not okay,_ he thought, annoyed. _I was just hurled through the air by a big hand._ _And there's a blade of grass poking my eye._ Then he heard the tell-tale sounds of a blade being pulled out of its sheath and a shield being pulled from its hook. Something was coming; Sheik could both feel and hear it. The ground shook, the…thing whistled.

Then he heard the Hero's battle cries as he tried to attack the thing. It did not go well, Sheik knew. He could hear the blows coming down on the Hero's body, and his pained grunts. Then he too was apparently sent flying considering the Hero's sudden shriek and the feel of a body hitting the ground next to Sheik.

Just as Sheik rolled over, he could see the back of a meaty hand disappearing behind the cliff wall, into the graveyard. He looked at the Hero. He was lying on his back, Master Sword still held fast in his left hand, but his Hylian shield was over at the well. Sheik painfully got up, making sure that nothing was broken. It was a little painful to breathe, but none of the ribs seemed to be damaged. He went over to the Hero, intent on checking on the wounds he had removed the stitches from last night.

It had been an embarrassing affair, especially when it came to removing the ones from the wound close to his…private parts. The Hero had gracefully suggested that he would do it himself, and Sheik had thankfully given the scissors to the Hero. Cleaning and stitching the wound had not been a problem when the Hero was unconscious and close to death, but when awake and fully focused on the hands that were carefully trying to get rid of the thread without ripping the tender wounds. None of the wounds had opened again, Sheik realised.

_Maybe all isn't _that_ bad yet…_

He regretted thinking it. A mighty explosion shook the heavens, and the downpour could have rivalled the ones that filled the ocean, Sheik was sure. The only thing even remotely 'good' about the rain that soaked them both right now was that it put out the burning houses, including Impa's, which seemed to only have suffered minor and superficial damage to the roof.

With a grunt, he pulled the Hero's arm over his shoulder and hoisted him up, slowly moving inside the house. He unceremoniously dumped Hero on the bed and lit a couple candles with some matches that lay on the table. The cage with the cow that Sheik had never been able to figure out why was there was empty, its occupant probably escaped when the fire started. The flames hadn't eaten through the roof, so Impa's house was dry.

A wave of pain from his ribs made him wince and crouch over, holding his arm protectively over the fragile bones. It still hurt if he took too deep breaths. He made sure the Hero was still unconscious before lighting another candle which he put on a small table by a dresser with a mirror on it. He slowly pulled down his cowl, removing it and then the tabard, leaving him in the blue exoskeleton. He had a discolouration around his right eye, he noticed.

_I probably landed on it,_ he thought and continued undressing, and removed his arms from the sleeves and rolling down the exoskeleton, revealing a slim and lightly muscled figure until it reached his hips. His entire stomach region and chest were covered in deep blue and black bruises. He almost gasped. No wonder it hurt to breathe or even move!

A groan from the Hero caused him to panic. He quickly tried to pull the exoskeleton back up, causing his bruises to flare up in protest, which he tried to ignore the best he could. When he was finally able to replace his arms in the sleeves, he noticed the Hero was stirring. He turned his back to the bed and put on the tabard, finally covering his face with the cowl. It was good to have it back on. He felt naked without it.

He turned around and saw the Hero sitting up, rubbing his head. He noticed Sheik and gave him a confused look.

"Wha…?" he asked.

"Hero, A terrible thing has happened. The evil shadow spirit has been released! Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village and the princess' attendant, had sealed the spirit in the bottom of the well...but it got so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into Hyrule," said Sheik.

"I couldn't even see it," said the Hero, cracking his neck.

_As I suspected,_ thought Sheik. The Hero's eyes were not trained to spot that which did not wish to be spotted. Sheik had been trained to do so since childhood. He also now had a good idea as to what Impa could have left behind for them in her house, and so went to look for the package.

"What are you doing?" asked the Hero, looking at the Sheikah with a curious look.

"Impa has gone inside the temple to seal the spirit back up," answered Sheik without looking up. He was knocking on the wall that went along the stone wall behind the house, looking for the secret compartment he knew she had built in there many years ago. "She left behind something you are going to need if you wish to see the monster." A stretch of wall did not match the sound the rest of it made when he knocked on it, and he felt around for the hidden edges, his fingernails caught it, and he pulled the brick out. What he had expected to be a small package turned out to be…somewhat bigger, about the same size as the Master Sword, to be exact. Sheik started to unroll it on the table, the Hero also moving over to see what it was.

Sheik gasped. It was a sword, but not just any old sword. It was _Impa's_ sword, the one she had carried on her back, the sword she had used to kill many a royal would-be assassin. The sheath was full of carved Sheikah symbols, the most prominent being the bleeding Sheikah eye on the grip. He lifted it reverently and put it aside, seeing that there was another, smaller package in the wrapper. This was more like what he had expected. He unpacked it, and nodded. Inside laid the Lens of Truth, a piece of glass magically treated to let the user see the things that Sheik could see. There was also a letter.

_**Sheik,**_

_**The monster beneath the well has broken free. I will be going inside the temple to vanquish it once and for all. In case I don't succeed, I leave my sword to you. Take good care of it; it has been in our family for centuries. I have also recovered the Lens of Truth from its resting place beneath the well. Link will need it if you two are to defeat the monster. Good luck.**_

_**Impa.**_

Sheik lowered the paper and blinked. _In case she doesn't succeed…_ The sentence puzzled him. Impa never dealt with ifs and buts, but only certainties. _She knew she wouldn't walk out of that temple alive…_

He handed the Lens of Truth to the Hero, who studied it. "What is it?" he asked.

"It will allow you to see what I can," replied Sheik, strapping Impa's sword to his back, reminding himself that he was only borrowing it so he could give it back when they found her. "Don't use it too much, though, it will drain your strength." He studied the Hero. "You look better," he stated.

Hero shrugged and grinned. "Malon gave me a bottle of their super-special milk, it made me feel great. And I lost my limp too."

"I see…" The rain was letting up now, and night had settled over Hyrule. "There isn't a moment to loose, Hero. We must go into the temple immediately."

"Wait, we?" asked Hero, surprised. "Does that mean…?"

"Yes, I will be your partner from now on," said Sheik and pulled out his lyre. "Repeat after me…" He started plucking the strings, barely giving the Hero the time to take out the ocarina.

"Wait, aren't you gonna give me a speech?" asked the Hero.

Sheik shook his head. "What does it matter now?"

Link looked at the floor, scraping his boot against the wooden floor. "I like your speeches…" he mumbled.

"Is that so?" _Is that why you always looked positively absent whenever I recite them for you, Hero? I thought you were just bored._ It had always felt somewhat insulting to Sheik that the Hero hadn't paid attention to his speeches, which he had been required to memorise…and that had been bloody hard too!

"Please?" asked Link, giving Sheik his best smile. The Sheikah had a good mind to deny the request, wishing to convey to the Hero that time was of the essence, but the face was not something easily said no to.

Sheik rolled his eyes and nodded. The speech for the Shadow Temple was not long. "Very well, Hero. Please pay attention."

_This is the melody that will draw_

_you into the infinite darkness_

_that absorbs even time... Listen to_

_this, the Nocturne of Shadow_

The words flowed like a river from Sheik's mouth, the magical melody issuing forth from the lyre. Link closed his eyes and slowly started playing along to the sombre tune, a coldness creeping down both their backs. The hairs on their necks stood to attention as the spirits of the Shadow Temple slowly came to guide them to the entrance…

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 7**

"So this is where the entrance is," said Link after opening his eyes. "Right above the graveyard…seems fitting."

"Indeed," said Sheik and looked down the dark stairway that led into the temple. Light flickered further down. Impa had already opened the gate. "We must move, Hero." Something held him back. He turned around and found the green-clad one holding his shoulder.

"Okay," he said calmly. "There are a couple of things I need to make clear if you and I are going to be partners."

Sheik huffed in annoyance. Every second up here was a second wasted. Impa could be in trouble, why wouldn't the Hero see that? But hearing him out would get them going quicker, than so be it. "Speak."

"First of all, my name is Link, okay? Not 'Hero of Time', not 'Hero', so why can't you call me that? You managed just fine back at the well, as well as the first time we met in the Temple of Time." He looked down at Sheik. The Sheikah hadn't noticed the height difference before.

"That is hardly proper, Hero—"

"Stop it!" Link exclaimed "I am so sick of that damn title! Everywhere I go, it's 'Hero this' and 'Hero of Time that'. Just for once, I want someone to call me by my given name." He turned back and looked at the graveyard. "I'm just…sick and tired of being everyone's hero…"

Sheik was surprised. _He hates his destiny? Some would gladly lay their lives on the line just to have a chance at saving the world…but, I suppose destiny chooses the least likely…or willing._

"Very well, H—Link, I shall try to address you by your name." It went against every fibre of his being to disrespect the He—Link like that.

When Link turned back to him, a broad smile was on his face. "Knew I'd get you to do it sooner or later." He smirked.

Sheik glared at him. "You were…joking?"

"Not in the least," said Link. "I merely…overplayed it a bit."

"Just when I was starting to feel sympathy for you," mumbled Sheik. "What was the other thing you wished to 'make clear'?"

"I want to know what happened while I was unconscious at the ranch," replied Link. "Malon kept giving you frightened looks, their storage room was burnt down, and Ingo was gone."

_This had to come up sooner or later, I guess…_ "Ingo tried to murder you in your sleep," Sheik said bluntly and started walking down the stairway, making the Hero hurry after.

"What? How?"

"He set fire to the storage room and went into your room in the confusion. I realised what he was trying to do and stopped him, simple as that."

Their voices echoed, betraying the presence of a large room at the bottom of the stairs.

"And what happened after that?" asked Link.

"I killed him," replied Sheik as they emerged from the dark staircase. Inside was a large, room filled with burning torches arranged in circles around a slightly raised pillar in the centre of the room. Scorch marks covered the surface of the platform.

"Impa?" asked Link quietly, suddenly aware of the eerie silence that covered the room, dampening even the sounds of the torches.

Sheik nodded and continued through the large doorway in front of them. "Welcome to the House of the Dead," he whispered.

"What is this place, really?" asked Link. The corridor they were moving down seemed to stretch on forever. The smiling skulls in the walls were unnerving, even more so when sudden breaths of wind flew down the corridor.

Sheik found this an appropriate moment to recite the three verses he had been taught by Impa about the temple.

_Shadow Temple..._

_Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody_

_history of greed and hatred..._

_What is hidden in the darkness..._

_Tricks full of ill will..._

_You can't see the way forward..._

_One who gains the eye of truth_

_will be able to see what is hidden_

_in the darkness._

Link regarded him with curiosity. "What's the 'eye of truth'?" he asked.

Sheik pointed at the coloured glass Link was holding. "That," he said, "is the Lens of Truth. I have already explained what it does."

"So I guess I've got to use this extensively in this temple, then?" asked Link as they continued. At Sheik's nod, he hummed satisfied. "You still didn't tell me clearly what this place is."

_How can someone possibly be so clueless? If the name doesn't tell him…_ "It's a tomb, Hero," he answered. "All the countless casualties of the countless wars the Kingdom of Hyrule has been involved lie buried here along with the Sheikah, who watch over their spirits."

"This is the gravesite of your people?" asked Link quietly, suddenly aware of the tense air that had developed around them. Sheik didn't enjoy speaking about the temple…in fact; he hated just being inside it. The stories Impa had told him when he was a child…all the rage, suffering and hatred that had been buried in this place...it lingered in the air. He could feel the malevolent spirits, desperately trying to hurt them in any way they could, only held back by the guardians of the royal family, the sprits of the Sheikah. He was glad he could not see them.

"Yes, this is my people's tomb, along with every enemy of Hyrule" said Sheik. They arrived at a door. The true entrance. Behind this door, the first challenge awaited.

"I'm sorry," said Link quietly, afraid he had offended his partner by asking too much.

"Don't be, Hero," said Sheik as the door slid open. "This place puts me on edge…there is much anger here."

"I know what you're talking about, I can feel it too," said Link, unconsciously moving a bit closer to the Sheikah as they stepped through the door. "And it's Link, by the way."

"…let me get used to it, Link."

_At least he picked up on the puzzle quickly enough,_ thought Sheik, watching as Link grunted and strained to align the…bird? Bat bird? Align the _thing's_ beak with the correct skull. The correct skull for Link, anyhow, for Sheik did not see the fake ones the Hero claimed were there.

"You could be a little help, you know," said Link with clenched teeth.

"This is your quest, Link," said Sheik. He looked down into the abyss, on the other side of which a statue of a monster's mouth hid the entrance to the next area. Sheik wondered how the Hero planned on getting to the other side. Sheik could jump, but the Hero could not. _Interesting. _"I'm not allowed to help you with the puzzles. I can only guide you."

"You haven't even been in here before!"

"Not personally, but Impa has told me all I need to know." He kicked a pebble, never hearing it hit the bottom of the abyss. He turned around to see how far along the Hero was, and gaped. Link was slowing down, and the…_thing's_ beak would be pointing at one of the empty pikes. The warning had been clear enough. If it stopped… He raced over to the hideous statue and pushed with all he had, as Link was nearly dropping over. The rotating statue slipped over an invisible groove and continued turning, coming to a stop with the thing's beak pointing to the only skull that was visible to Sheik.

The sound of a rusted gate opening on the other side of the room told them that they had completed the puzzle right.

Link was panting heavily and supporting himself against the statue now. "Thanks…for…the…help," he said slowly, putting his hand over Sheik's in gratitude. It lingered there for a few seconds longer than it needed to. Sheik put it down to Hero's condition, hoping the cowl was covering his blush. It had…tingled, when Link had touched his hand.

"You're already exhausted," he said to distract himself from what his mind was trying to think. "You should have stayed at the ranch."

Link shook his head as he slid down to the floor, leaning against the horrible sculpture. "It's not that…there's…something about…the…air in here…"

Sheik sniffed the air and took a few deep breaths—which he regretted right away as the bruises from the encounter with the giant hand flared up again. He held in a gasp and concentrated on the air. "You're right, Link…the air is dead in here…not very healthy to breathe too much of it in. You need to control your breathing when doing something extraneous."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Link, his breath evening out. He pointed at Sheik and smiled brightly. "You helped me."

Sheik scoffed. "If I hadn't, you would have gotten us both killed…or worse."

"Which is why I think you should volunteer a bit faster next time."

"I'll consider it."

They both stood at the edge, looking at the entrance that was so near yet so far away.

"This could be a problem," said Link.

"Indeed."

"I guess we'll have to jump."

_Good luck with that, Hero. Your equipment is weighing you down; you won't even make it halfway over…_

"We could try that…" said Sheik. "Or we could try going through the door you have been overlooking ever since we entered this room."

"What room?"

Sheik pointed.

"Oh."

"Yes."

The maze beyond the door made Sheik feel confident they were on the right way. What _didn't_ make him feel confident, on the other hand, were the whispers of the dead. He could hear them, a low murmuring deep inside his ears. It was making him nervous. Sheik had dealt with spirits before…in the form of poes, but these were_true_ spirits, beings who wielded no physical powers other than the power of suggestion and whispers.

Link could hear them too, it seemed. Or heard _something,_ at least. Both he and Sheik were walking close together, partly for comfort and part to avoid stepping on the bones of the long dead littering the floor. The walls consisted of shelves filled with mortal remains, and…_parts_, had shifted over the centuries.

Sheik briefly wondered why Link didn't show any sign of fear other than his occasional worried look around. Had it been any other eleven-year-old, they would have run screaming out of the temple before they even entered the main section…

_But he has faced worse, hasn't he? He was exposed to these things right at the beginning of his long quest…inside the Great Deku Tree._ He looked down and saw that the Hero had intertwined the fingers on his left hand with Sheik's right. Sheik looked at the Hero for answers, to which he only answered with another of his pleading looks, which Sheik found harder and harder to resist.

"Please?" whispered Link. "It's…scary in here."

Wordlessly, Sheik nodded. And so they continued…

It didn't take long to find the end of the maze. Sheik saw it right away, and he nudged the Hero to take out the lens. Beyond the door there was…nothing. They shared a look before they stepped inside; both knowing what was going to happen in there. Link, because of experience, and Sheik because it was just too obvious.

As they expected, the door slammed shut behind them, steel bars emerging from the floor to prevent them from even touching it. They both turned around when a loud, wet thump came from the middle of the room. Six…fleshy tendrils had erupted from the dirt floor, stretching upwards. They wobbled slightly, and the grey surface was covered in wounds, dripping blood.

Before Sheik could warn him, the Hero pulled out the Master Sword and prodded at one of them.

"Hero, don't—"was all he had time to say before the knob at the top of the tendril opened, revealing a disgusting hand with long fingers. Link had time to look up at the rapidly descending hand before it covered his face, fingers holding tightly around his head and preventing the captured teen from breaking free.

Now Sheik remembered what kind of creature it was, and his fears were confirmed when a large form suddenly exploded out of the floor in the middle of the room. A long neck with an impossibly ugly head pointed upwards, much like the hideous creature's arms did. Its body was a formless mass, a blob which wriggled towards its captured prey.

_Impa said that Dead Hands are blind and use their arms to see…_

He drew his aunt's sword, marvelling at the lightness of the long, straight blade. Then he was with Link, using an overhead swing to sever the hand holding him from the arm it was attached to. Not a drop of blood was spilled as the hand fell to the floor, the arm retreating back into the floor. The wobbling mass shrieked in pain, already starting to retreat.

"Don't let it escape," Sheik said. Link was already on his towards it, apparently not very happy with being facehugged by something that had been dead for centuries. But the dead hand was fast, avoiding the Hero's strikes and swings, its neck darting here and there, dodging every single attack. Sheik looked at the other arms. Several of them were already in the process of disappearing into the ground again. He ran to the closest arm and cut it in half, hoping his plan would work.

The dead hand shrieked again, freezing. Link wasted no time in decapitating the vile thing. It collapsed to the floor, one final breath escaping the body before it stilled. The arms flopped around lifelessly. The Hero gave the body a final kick and sheathed his sword.

"Thanks," he said, shuddering as he stepped over one of the arms. "That was the most horrible thing I've ever experienced."

Sheik put away Impa's sword and nodded. "This was always the enemy I hoped I would never face…Impa used it to scare me when I had been naughty as a child."

_And now he is imagining me as a child…nice going, Sheik,_ he thought. He tapped Link on the shoulder and pointed to the large chest that was materialising at the wall, their reward for killing the Dead Hand. Link opened it, and gawped at the contents. He pulled them out and held them out to Sheik.

"What the hell are these?"

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 8**

Sheik struggled with keeping his laughter in as the Hero of Time slipped and fell on his bottom for the umpteenth time. It was the Ice Cavern all over again. The enchantment in the feathers he had clipped on to his boots would allow him to hover in the air for a short time, but they also, unfortunately for the Hero's rump, suspended all friction, making him skid around as if he walked on ice.

"I hate these things," Link muttered as he picked himself up from the floor.

They were back in the room with the horrible sculpture, having decided that the Hero needed time to get accustomed to the feathers before attempting the big jump across the abyss. Needless to say, he was not making much progress.

"You know," said Sheik, "for a master swordsman, you struggle a lot with keeping your balance."

"Thank you for making that observation," said Link as he made his wobbling way to where the Sheikah stood leaning against the wall. "Let's see you put them on and how long you will remain standing."

"I would if I had any need of them, Hero," answered Sheik. "But I can make that jump without any aids, you cannot." He smirked under his mask. It was hard not to smile around the Hero.

Link grumbled and grabbed a hold of the wall Sheik leant against. "So, think I'm ready?"

Sheik looked pointedly down at Link's shaking knees and shook his head. "Not in the slightest…but we can't waste any more time. Come." Without thinking, Sheik grabbed Link's forearm and started to drag him over to the edge. It was like he was wearing ice skates, the way he slid after the Sheikah. "Can you run with those things?" asked Sheik.

Link shrugged. "Don't know, haven't tried. I struggle enough with standing, thank you very much." He looked at the crumbling edge. "I don't like standing so close to the edge when I'm about to fall."

"Alright, then we will do it this way," said Sheik and continued dragging Link over the sculpture. He made the Hero face the doorway on the other side of the abyss and positioned himself behind him. "I will push; you will float over to the other side."

Astonishingly fast, Link spun around and grabbed Sheik by the shoulders. "Are you insane? What if you don't push fast enough? What if I'm a feet few short when the enchantment wears up?"

Sheik brushed Link's hands off his shoulders and spun the Hero around again. "Do you have any better suggestions, Hero? Waiting for you to suddenly develop a balance nerve is not something we have time for. Ready? Here we go." He pushed, quickly getting up to running speed. Link twisted his head around to give him a final doubtful look…and then he was halfway over the abyss. The feathered boots touched down on the monster's tongue, Link immediately grabbing on to whatever he could.

"Alright!" he shouted in triumph. "We did it!"

Sheik nodded. "Good, now stand aside, I'm coming over." He took a few steps back and concentrated, picturing himself crossing the gap. He opened his eyes and started running, his feet barely making any sounds when they came into contact with the stone floor. He bent his knee when his right foot hit the edge, preparing to kick off and leap gracefully through the air. He didn't except the cracking sound and part of the edge breaking off. His jump came at least a foot short of what he had planned, and he saw the monster's tongue disappear over his head. In a final gamble, his hand shot up…and found the edge. He dangled over the abyss, holding on for dear life.

"Sheik!" shouted the Hero and bent down. "Give me your hand!"

Sheik carefully swung his free arm upwards, his bandaged hand coming into contact with Link's. With almost no effort, he pulled Sheik up, backing away to give his partner room. Sheik had to sit still for a moment, leaning against one of the monster's incisors, his heart beating like a bongo drum.

"Thank…you…" he breathed.

"No problem," said Link kindly and offered his hand to help Sheik up. He hauled him up to his feet and patted him on the shoulder. "You didn't need any aids to make the jump, huh?" he said and laughed.

Blushing, Sheik walked ahead. "Shut up, Hero."

Behind the monster's face, a pathway leading downwards greeted them. Further down, a circular room with a Beamos lazily spinning about opened up. Link wasted no time in throwing a bomb at it, blowing the creature up, sending the eye flying into a corner, where it exploded.

"Now what?" asked the Hero, looking at the dirt piled high in the doorways around them.

Judging by the stone fragments in the dir, it was evident that the roof above the doorways had collapsed…except the one Sheik was staring at. "There, Hero," he said and started walking to it.

"What? It's just more dirt, Sheik, and I don't think…oh." Link watched incredulously as the Sheikah stepped through the dirt, disappearing beyond.

"Use the Lens, Link," Sheik called.

Stepping through the veil, Link smiled sheepishly at Sheik and held the Lens in front of his eye. "I forgot."

"You're the one who came to the conclusion that you would need to use it extensively in here, Hero. Why don't you heed your own advice," said Sheik and rolled his eyes. His gaze locked onto something shining next to the steel door. He bent down and picked up a large padlock and a pair of chains. "Impa has already been here," he stated.

"No time to lose, then," said Link and opened the door, stopping abruptly as something rusty and sharp swung in the air in front of him. Sheik grabbed his collar and pulled him back.

"You've yet to learn not to just barge into rooms like that," said Sheik. He stared at the contraption inside. It was…horrid. Two statues of hooded figures spun around in the middle of the room, their scythes threatening to slice anyone unfortunate enough to walk into them in half. On the other side of the statues, a door seemed to be mocking them. "There," he said and pointed at it. "We need to get over there."

"Fair enough," said Link, putting away the feathers…somewhere in his tunic.

Whoever had thought that a simple trap as this would stop any intruders was probably feeling foolish as the two warriors ducked and rolled their way underneath the spinning blades. The only thing that happened was that one of the scythes nicked Link's cap and took it with it, prompting the Hero of Time to curse loudly and attempt to get it back. Upon his fifth failed try, Sheik pulled him through the door, much to Link's protest.

"It's a hat, Hero. I'm sure you can get a replacement," Sheik huffed as they continued through the hallway behind the door. Chains were rattling somewhere ahead, and something metallic hit the floor every three seconds.

_Besides, why would you want to cover that gorgeous hair up…what did I just think?_ Sheik fought down the heat rising to his cheeks.

"Yeah, but…I haven't…it just feels weird without it," the Hero muttered. He kept looking behind them, pining for his hat, it seemed.

Sheik turned around and was about to lecture the Hero of the ratio of importance between ridiculously long, green caps and the safety of Hyrule when Link suddenly grabbed him by the cowl, pulling him towards him. The Sheikah tried to voice his outrage, but found himself muffled by Link's chest. Looking up, Sheik saw that the Hero was staring hard at something behind him. Turning around, he saw that where he had stood a bare second before, a giant Skulltula was hanging down from the ceiling, grinning evilly at them. Link looked down at him and grinned.

"You almost walked right into it," he said. Then he froze, looking closely at Sheik's face…which was not covered by his cowl. Link had yanked it down. There was no hiding it this time.

Sheik pushed away from the Hero and pulled the cowl back up, thankful for the weak light the flickering torches barely provided. He drew Impa's sword, sliced through the Skulltula and continued walking, unable to think of anything to say.

_Did he see my face?_ he thought, blushing. It wasn't his seeing Sheik's face that bothered the Sheikah, but the way his hands had gripped the Hero's tunic. He heard Link's slow, hesitant footsteps behind him.

What he didn't see, however, was that the green-clad teen was blushing as well.

_He's distracting me…that's what's going on…_

The series of falling guillotines had been easy enough to navigate, even the ones with the moving platforms. They hadn't talked after that the cowl incident, though. When the solitary Stalfos had attacked them on the last platform, Link had stepped forward, holding Sheik back as he took care of it.

Its fading cry as it fell apart signalled that the fight was over, and Link replaced the Master Sword on his back. Sheik was about to motion to the large platform that was rising and falling next to them, but Link held up a hand.

"I need a break," the Hero said and plopped down on the ground, leaning against the cliff wall. Sheik felt foolish for forgetting Link's condition and nodded wordlessly and sat down as well, a little away from the Hero.

Silence enveloped them, and the air seemed to press down on them. There was a certain tinge of death in their mouths, and the whispers of the dead seemed to be more persistent in the large room.

_Face it, Sheik…you can't stand being close to him without touching him…shut up!_

It seemed that his thoughts had split into two; one part which wanted him to loosen up, be more…intimate and friendly with the Hero, and the one that kept screaming that he had duties to perform.

"I'm sorry about the cowl," said the Hero suddenly, looking at apologetically at Sheik. "I know you don't like showing your face…"

"My face is hardly relevant, Hero…" said Sheik. "It was…I was surprised, that is all."

"Why do you wear it anyway?"

"This is the traditional uniform of Sheikah warriors," he said and gestured to his outfit. "The cowl is to remind us that we do not represent ourselves as individuals, but our people as a whole."

"So you're not really allowed to be seen without it," said Link, beginning to understand.

"It is not forbidden to show our faces," said Sheik. "Impa does it, but it is frowned upon…but then again, she and I are the ones left…" His eyes widened. He hadn't meant to add the last part.

"So it's true, then?" asked Link. "You truly are the survivor of the Sheikah…the last of your race."

Sheik had been asked this before, but it had usually been to ridicule and insult him. The people of Hyrule had never trusted the shadow warriors protecting their royal family, despite the fact that the Sheikah always threw themselves into battle to defend the people whenever an enemy had invaded. Sheik didn't really blame them, though. It was natural to be wary of the unknown, and goddesses knew that the Sheikah had done everything to be unknown.

"Yes, it's true, Hero," he answered.

"And when you die…"

"Then the Sheikah will die."

"I'm sorry…"

Sheik looked at Link. "Why? It's not your fault. I am probably angering my ancestors when I say this, but it is really our own fault."

Link looked surprised. "How?"

"Because we focused too much on fighting the war twenty years ago," said Sheik, remembering how bitterly Impa had told him why she and Sheik were the only ones left. "Too many Sheikah fell in the battles, and too few were left to procreate…my mother died giving birth to me, and my father died protecting the king from an assassin a year later. It fell to Impa to raise me…"

"But couldn't you…you know, resurrect the race…" The Hero's cheeks burned as he struggled to get his meaning across. "With someone?"

_He's really cute when he's embarrassed…didn't I tell you to shut up?_

"Not really," said Sheik. "If I were to have a child, it would have to be with a Hylian…and the Sheikah blood would become diluted within a few generations. No, Link, the Sheikah are a doomed race…and I think that my ancestors would want us to disappear abruptly rather than slowly fade away."

Link nodded in understanding. "I see…"

Sheik stood up. "Shall we get going?"

Link smiled and joined him. "Yes."

"I'm stumped, got any ideas?" asked Link as he and Sheik looked at the series of fans that blew powerful gusts of wind between each other. A long walkway over another dark abyss stretched across the room. They had tried to walk across, but, after Sheik had almost been blown off it, decided to go back and rethink their strategy.

"I will repeat myself, Hero," said Sheik, still a bit shaken from the near-death experience. "This is obviously a challenge which will involve those feathers you found."

"I don't like them," said Link scornfully and glared at the feathers. They fluttered slightly in the strong breeze from the fans. "And my name is still Link."

"And I am still not used to it, Link."

"So, I'm supposed to get over there," he said and pointed to an alcove with a doorway neatly hidden inside, "while being careful not to get blown away by the fans?"

"Yes, I believe that is what the challenge is about," Sheik said. "And it seems that I cannot accompany you any further if the incident a couple of minutes ago was a sign."

"More a sign that you need to eat more," mumbled Link.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." As he mounted the feathers to his boots, an idea formed in his head. "I think I know how we can get across."

"Capital," said Sheik without enthusiasm.

Link crouched down with his back to Sheik, who blinked in confusion. "Get on."

"What?"

"I said get on," repeated Link. "You can't jump across the gaps, you'll be blown away. If you get on my back, we can both hover and let the fans do the work."

_That _is_ logical,_ Sheik admitted, but he wasn't about to say it out loud. "There is no guarantee the boots will accept the weight of two. I will find a way around and meet you—"

"Sheik," said Link slowly. "Get. On. My. Back."

Realising there was no use in arguing, Sheik climbed onto the Hero's back, putting his arms around his neck. Link put his hands under Sheik's knees, securing his hold and stood up.

Ignoring the position he was in, Sheik concentrated on the fans. "The fans are activating and deactivating at regular intervals…there seems to be a pattern to it."

Link wobbled a bit and leaned against the wall so he would fall over and crush Sheik underneath him. "Alright, just say when to jump."

Sheik observed the pattern, letting it run through itself four times just so he could be sure. "Three…two…one…now!"

Link jumped. Much of the trip through the air was spent in confusion as they were blown up, down, left, right and all manner of directions. It wasn't until they landed in a heap in the alcove that they realised that they had made it.

"That was brilliant," said Link laughing. "Can we go again?"

Sheik struggled to disentangle himself from the Hero's limbs. "No," he said firmly.

"Hey, Sheik?"

"Yes?"

"Could you get your foot out of my nose?"

"…that's _your_ foot, Hero."

"…So it is. Wow, I didn't know I could bend that way."

"It's a ship."

"Yes, Hero."

"It's a ship…underground."

"So it is."

"It's…floating in the air."

"That it does."

"And we have to get on it."

"That we do."

Link cocked his head to look at the Sheikah. "You like talking like that, don't you?"

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I do."

He really couldn't blame Link's apprehension at the idea of getting on a ship that seemed to be oozing evil and had another of those…things as a figurehead. The boat rocked slightly as they stepped on board, making them both wonder what exactly it had to rock in. Link played Zelda's Lullaby while standing inside the monogram of the triforce.

For a moment, it seemed that nothing was going to happen, and Link looked ready to start a tirade. His mouth snapped shut when one of the bells at the bow of the ship suddenly started playing, the sharp sound echoing down the passage they needed to go.

Unexpectedly, the ship suddenly dipped down before rising up, like it was sailing in rough seas, trying to throw its crew overboard. Grabbing on to whatever they could—Link the slightly raised edge in the port and Sheik the figurehead—they endured the ride. There were no torches along the wall here, only darkness, and the only thing that had them aware that they were moving was the slight scraping sounds as the wooden boat scratched against the canal's sides.

Sheik sensed movement behind him and tensed up, only to relax when Link's hand clomped down on his shoulder, the Hero using him to guide himself to the grip the figurehead.

"Got lonely in the back," whispered the Hero. It hadn't been intentional, as he cleared his throat afterwards.

"Port," said Sheik, also surprised at the volume of his voice. "You got lonely in the port."

"Port, back, whatever," snorted Link. "How come I can't raise my voice any higher than this?"

"I am not sure," replied Sheik. It was a lie. They were standing on the Ferry of the Dead, the boat fallen Sheikah were placed on to transport the body to the inner sanctum where it would be buried. An honour guard of six Sheikah usually accompanied the body to the burial site, all silent for the duration of the trip in respect for the dead. The reason for them not being able to raise their voices was…a compulsion from the many spirits accompanying them. Sheik could not see them, but he could feel them.

There was a light at the end of the tunnel, which opened into a large, cavernous room where hundreds of torches flickered happily. Behind the torches, Sheik knew, little wooden signs with names hung. It was hard to see from the boat, but hundreds of small alcoves were carved into the rock underneath the markers, all of which housed a deceased Sheikah's remains.

Something skittered along stone, causing them both to look around nervously.

_Nothing is supposed to move in this chamber,_ thought Sheik. _Everything here is supposed to be dead._

"Probably a rat," whispered Link. His hold on the figurehead tightened, the skin around his knuckles paling.

_If only things were so easy, Link…_

Sheik saw them before Link did, but they both landed on the boat before he could issue any warning. Stalfos, two of them, grinned at the two partners, laughing that hideous laugh of theirs. Their eyes glowed red, and their crude swords—soaked with blood, Sheik noted with worry—flashed in the light.

Then chaos erupted. Link, having no patience with the skeletons, threw himself at the closest one, sword and shield clashing, echoing in the vast cavern. Sheik drew his own sword and advanced slowly on the second undead soldier. It had been some time since he last fought a skilled opponent with a sword, having preferred his daggers and throwing knives for years now, but it all came back soon enough.

_It's a skill that always stays with you,_ he thought as he dodged an overhead swing from the skeleton and countered with a slash to the head, taking its helmet off. It growled at him and attempted a jumping strike, its sword digging into the planks as Sheik dodged it yet again. Whirling around, Sheik attempted to execute it by separating its head from the body, but it was faster on the uptake this time and jumped to the side, freeing its sword from the boat. It laughed again, mocking him. Sheik gritted his teeth and freed a dagger from his bandages. He held it with a reverse grip in his left hand. He couldn't match the skeleton in strength, but agility on the other hand…

Had Link looked up from his own fight, he would have seen Sheik turn into a flurry of blades, poking and slashing the slow skeleton before it had time to raise its shield, his tornado of movement culminating in Sheik ramming his dagger into one of its eye sockets. Blood poured from the empty hole, its owner shrieking in pain and dropping its sword to cradle the damaged ocular cavity. Sheik finished it off with a powerful roundhouse kick to its jaw, sending the skeleton flying into the darkness, its screams slowly fading.

The second Stalfos fell soon after, cut in half by the Master Sword. The bones dissolved into dust, carried away by the wind, spreading over the Sheikah graves.

They said no more to each other for the remainder of the trip out of respect. Link had spotted what the little signs behind the torches were now, and wisely kept his mouth shut. Sheik appreciated his silence. Respect for the dead was one of the cornerstones of the Sheikah culture, and he was afraid he had already betrayed it by speaking in the first place.

They entered another darkened tunnel, the air gradually becoming lighter, easier to breathe in. Soon enough, they emerged on the other side of the tunnel, arriving at a small dock. On the other side of yet another abyss, they could see a large, reinforced door. The boat came to an abrupt stop at the dock, almost knocking Link off balance. They prepared to climb down from when it suddenly started shaking, sinking down into the blackness.

Link froze, wondering what to do. It was too far to jump, and—

Sheik took the initiative and tackled the Hero off the boat, both landing painfully on the stone dock. Just in time too, as the boat disappeared into the abyss.

"You could give me a warning next time, you know," groaned Link as they picked themselves up. "I think one of my wounds reopened," he said and lifted his tunic, revealing a finely muscled torso. Several fresh scars marred the otherwise perfection.

Sheik gave him a quick look-over, trying not to focus too much on the abdominal muscles that were just begging to be stroked and… He stopped himself right there and shook his head. "Looks fine, Hero."

_And I'm not talking about your wounds…shut up!_

"Are you sure about this?" asked Link. "Remember what happened last time?"

Sheik rolled his eyes, something he seemed to be doing quite often these days. "I'll be fine, Hero."

Getting across to the reinforced door had proven to be a conundrum. There was no bridge, it was too far for Link's feathers to hover over there, and the door to their right on the dock simply led to another labyrinth with invisible walls full of dead Floormasters. It had been a comfort to see the dead creatures, though, since it proved that Impa had not fallen to the Stalfos in the grave cavern.

In the end, there was only option. Sheik had to jump across with one of Link's bombs to destroy the big statue on the other side. There was a small field of Bomb Flowers in front of, which was surely an afterthought by the designer of the temple.

"If you say so," said Link and gave him a smile. "Just remember that I won't be able to pull you up this time."

"That won't be necessary," said Sheik. He checked that the bomb was carefully strapped to his back, having used the bandages on his left hand to do so. Remembering what had happened last time he attempted such a jump, he stomped on the edge of the dock, making sure it would handle his weight without crumbling this time. Satisfied, he stepped back, ran to the edge and sailed over the darkness below, landing in a crouch on the other side, inches away from the edge. It had been a gamble, he knew. He had never jumped that far before.

He walked over to the small group of exploding flowers, lighting the fuse of Link's bomb by scraping a dagger against the wall, creating a shower of sparks which lit the fuse. Noting it was burning fast, Sheik placed the bomb in the middle of the flowers and ran away, taking cover behind a broken plinth of some kind.

The bomb detonated the flowers, sending debris all over the room. A significant portion of the lower part of the statue was blown away, causing it to tip forward, creaking all the while. The statue's head, another one of the horrible sculptures, came to rest on the side of the dock, close to where Link stood. The statue was sliding, however, and Link quickly ran, barely making it across before the statue broke in half, the pieces falling into the abyss. They heard the massive booms as the pieces collide with the walls on the way down.

"Close call," said Sheik as he rewrapped his hand.

Link nodded and opened the door. "Crap," he said loudly when he saw what awaited.

"What?" asked Sheik and stood on his toes to peek over Link's shoulder. "Hero, the Lens," he said in a deadpan.

Embarrassed, Link held the lens in front of his eye. "I see. Wait, this means that—"

"Feathers on, Link."

"Damn."

It was simple push-and-jump operation they developed. It was a repeat of the first room in the temple, where Sheik pushed Link over to the invisible platforms and jumped after. It worked quite well, and within minutes, they stood in front of the massive door which housed the chamber in which the monster dwelled. The spiky padlock and chains lay bundled in front of the door, another sign that Impa was ahead of them.

Link walked quickly inside and Sheik made to follow, but a sound caught his attention. It was a snicker. He turned around, but Link kept walking, leaving Sheik alone on the ledge, staring at the platforms with narrowed eyes. A flash of red at the far end of the chamber. Someone was standing in the shadows, watching him. Twin red orbs regarded him. At first, Sheik thought it was another Stalfos, but suddenly remembered another creature that had such eyes. But then they were gone, the echo of a suppressed laughter remaining in their wake.

Sheik stayed for a few moments, wary of an attack. He didn't move until Link's call from the room behind the door compelled him to enter. He kept an eye out for movements in the chamber before the massive door closed.

_It's not possible…_he thought.

The room was empty save for a well-like hole in the middle. They could not see what was down there, but a sinking feeling in both their stomachs could not be avoided as they came to the conclusion that they needed to jump down. Sheik volunteered to jump down first so he could make sure it wasn't dangerous for Link, but the green-clad one shook his head.

"Who's the Hero here?" he asked and jumped. At Link's call, Sheik followed.

The surface he landed on was…springy? They were standing on an island in the middle of a green-black ocean, the water certainly poisonous. Link bent down to touch the ground. He knocked on it a couple of times.

"Feels almost like we're standing on a big…"

"Drum," finished Sheik.

"Yeah."

Unlike the rest of the temple, Sheik could not hear the whispers of the dead down here. It was both relieving and troubling at the same time. The spirits did not dare to go down here. Of course, with the monster's sudden appearance, this was understandable…but if even the spirits of fallen warriors feared it…

It came out of nowhere. Something hard hit Sheik in the side, sending him flying across the island, almost skidding into the water. He heard Link's surprised yell.

"What the—"was all he could say before he too was sent flying. He landed next to Sheik.

Agony was all he knew. The marks from his previous encounter with the monster screamed as Sheik's breaths came out in short gasps, unable to take in more air. He could see the hands, hovering at the other end of the island.

"Lens, Hero," he gasped. Link's hand went to his tunic to take out the Lens of Truth, but his panicked expression told Sheik what had happened. "You've lost it." It wasn't a question.

"I had it just now," said Link and kept searching, but Sheik's cough and pointed finger made him look up. Out in the water, the Lens bobbed along the waves for a few seconds before sinking, lost forever.

_Great…how are we going to defeat the monster when the one with the only weapon that can kill it is practically blind?_

Link was on his feet in an instant, helping his partner up. "I guess you'll have to be my eyes, Sheik. Tell me what to do."

Sheik said nothing; he was too busy staring at the giant lump of flesh that was slowly rising from the water. It looked vaguely like a misshapen neck. Then the giant eye opened and regarded them with pure, unadulterated hatred. Bongo-Bongo screamed in anger.

It was a chaotic battle. After several failed attempts at dodging and damaging the hands with their blades, they found themselves gradually pushed closer and closer to the edge. It was lucky Link decided to try his bow, which seemed to stun the hands for a few seconds.

Sheik dodged another blow from a hand, getting back on his legs just in time to pull Link away from the path of the other. Wasting no time in telling him where the hands were, Sheik merely guided Link's hands, telling him when to shoot. Both arrows found their targets, and the hands hung limply in the air, Bongo-Bongo's eye widening in panic. Sheik guided another of the Hero's arrows into the pulsating organ, smirking when the fleshy form crumpled at the end of the platform.

He was just about to tell Link to hit it with the Master Sword when one of the hands twitched and slammed violently into the Sheikah, he skidded along the floor, stopping just before Bongo-Bongo's quivering form.

"Link!" he shouted. "Above me, his eye! Stab the eye!"

The Hero stood still for a second, trying to process what he had just said before nodding and charging at the—to him—empty air above Sheik. A strange sensation passed over him as his sword sunk to the hilt in something he couldn't see.

Something splashed in their faces. Link couldn't see, but Sheik knew it was the creature's blood. Bongo-Bongo screamed again, his body pulsating wildly, hands flying in every direction before he slowly started to dissolve.

"What's happening?" asked Link. "Did we win?" He helped Sheik up.

The Sheikah held an arm to his side. Something had cracked when the hand had hit him, and breathing was even worse than before now. "Yeah," he said, suppressing the moan that threatened to come from his lips. "It's dying…" The last bit of Bongo-Bongo's body slipped underneath the waves.

"_**Thank you…noble Sheikah…"**_

Sheik looked up sharply. "Who said that?"

"Said what?" asked Link, regarding him with a raised eyebrow.

Sheik shook his head. "Nothing…" As he moved, the moan broke out.

Link looked down at him, worried. "Are you okay?"

"I believe I have broken a rib," said Sheik, prodding experimentally at his chest, wincing when he hit the fracture. "Yes, definitely broken."

"Come on," said Link and started leading him over to the ring of blue light that had materialised on the floor.

Sheik pushed away from the Hero, shaking his head. "No…I am not allowed to enter the Chamber of the Sages…you go, I'll find another way out."

Link thought about it for a second, then grabbed Sheik's arm and dragged him into the light. "Nope, you're coming with me," he said simply, smiling when the Sheikah gratefully slumped into him, supporting himself with Link's frame.

_Thank the goddesses he is stubborn as a mule,_ Sheik thought. _But what will the sage say?_

The sage simply smiled as Sheik and Link appeared on the triforce symbol.

"Impa!" exclaimed Link. "You're the sage?"

Impa nodded, still smiling. "Indeed I am, Hero of Time."

Sheik smiled too. "I…I was worried that…"

"You were worried about me, Sheik? Judging by the way you are standing, you should have been more worried about yourself." Her eyes focused on the hilt of her sword. "Did Kazuya serve you well?"

"Yes, it did," said Sheik and started to loosen the strap.

"Keep it," said Impa, holding out a hand. "You know as well as I that I will not have any use for it…Sheik, Kazuya belongs to you now, as the last of the Sheikah."

Sheik bowed as deep as he could without causing too much pain to his chest. "Thank you, Impa."

His aunt smiled and looked back at Link. "You have done well, young man. I and Bongo-Bongo thank you." Sensing his confusion, Impa elaborated. "Many years ago, before you were born, a Sheikah man was corrupted by darkness and turned on his people." She looked at Sheik, who knew this story from before. "He slew many of us, until only I, my sister and her husband remained. We fought him, and defeated him, but not before he turned into the hideous monster that came to be known as Bongo-Bongo. We were unable to put him out of his misery, but we could not let him go either, for we feared he would return. Instead, I sealed him beneath the well in our village, trapping him in eternal sleep."

"Unfortunately, Ganondorf's evil presence woke him up, and he escaped from his prison. I tried to put him back to sleep…but he did it to me instead. And then you defeated him, and I awoke as the Sage of the Shadow Temple. We are eternally thankful, Hero. Here, take this medallion." She held her arms wide, and a large, purple medallion bearing the symbol of the shadow temple fell from above, landing in Link's hand. She turned her attention back to Sheik. "Sheik, come closer."

He did so, stepping into the water that slowly flowed off the altar. Impa bent down and embraced him, mindful of his injuries. "This is goodbye, nephew," she whispered. "Before you go, there is one thing I must tell you…"

"What is it?" whispered Sheik back.

"You and the Hero? You have my blessing." She released him and lightly pushed the flustered teen backwards to the triforce symbol. "You have a long way before you, boys. Remember, the fate of Hyrule is in your hands."

A blinding, white light enveloped them, transporting them away from the Chamber. They both heard her last request.

_**"Please, look out for the princess…"**_

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 10**

It was daylight, meaning they had spent the entire night inside the Shadow Temple. The clean, fresh air in the graveyard greeted them as they touched down on the temple's dais, and it felt like something heavy was lifted off their shoulders. Sheik surveyed the area and saw a friend sitting perched on the fence next to them.

"Kaiza," he said happily and walked to the falcon, letting her perch on his arm as he untied the message on her leg.

"What's that?" asked Link, referring both to the bird and the roll of paper.

"Her majesty's personal messenger," answered Sheik and started reading the message.

_**S,**_

_**If you read this message, then I will assume that you have successfully navigated the House of the Dead, and I congratulate you. I also know that your relative has ascended to their role. This is good news.**_

_**However, a matter has come up, and I must speak with you in person. Please come home as soon as possible.**_

_**P.**_

Sheik wondered what it could be. Usually, the princess informed him of the new trouble right away in the message rather than calling him back to the hideout. Had Ganondorf discovered one of the rebel cells? Seeing Link's questioning look, he rolled the paper together and nodded to Kaiza, who took off with a cry and disappeared among the clouds above.

"What's wrong?" asked Link.

"Why would you assume that anything is wrong?" countered Sheik and put the scroll away in a hidden pocked in his tabard.

"You're looking worried," said Link. He ran a hand through his hair, relishing in the feeling of the open air. It was strange seeing him without his signature cap.

"It's nothing, Hero," said Sheik and started climbing over the fence, wincing when the broken rib protested against the action. He ignored it and dropped down behind the ruined grave that Link had destroyed as a child. "Her highness has simply asked me to report in, and that is exactly what I am going to do."

Link hit the ground behind him, running to catch up. "Nothing my ass," he said loudly. "Your eyes went all wide and funny when you read the letter…besides, you can't go yet, you're hurt!"

Sheik stopped, looking suspiciously at the lantern resting against a gravestone. "It really is nothing, Link. And I feel fine," he lied. It didn't feel good. A thought had struck him as he had walked past the graves. The snicker inside the temple, the red eyes…

_It's impossible…_ he told himself. _The Shadow had no way of regaining its power. Besides, if it had been the Shadow, surely it would have attacked us in order to kill Link…_ Had the princess discovered the Shadow's existence and wished to order an assassination? There could be a million reasons for her to call him back, but he hoped to the goddesses that it was not that one.

"Feel fine, huh?" asked the Hero and spun the Sheikah around. "Then how come you're holding your side and can walking while favouring one side?"

Sheik scoffed and tried to continue on his way, but the Hero insistently held him back. Without warning, Link's finger prodded Sheik's rib, causing the masked youth to hiss and recoil away.

"Yeah, really convincing," said Link.

"Just leave it, Hero. It'll heal as soon as I drink a red potion."

"Potions can reset broken bones? That's the first time I've ever heard of it…"

Unwilling to continue the conversation, Sheik marched off, gingerly holding the broken rib. He hadn't even noticed he was walking like that until now. The Hero was getting far too observant for his own good, and—

"Put me down, Hero," Sheik said slowly, staring into Link's electric blue eyes as he lifted him bridal style.

"Nope," said Link, heading to Impa's house. "You're hurt, and you're not going anywhere, just like you told me back at Lon Lon yesterday."

"And if I disobeyed, like you did?"

"Then I'd be forced to tie you down to the bed," replied Link happily, immediately blushing when he realised what he had just said. "Uh, not like that, ehehehe…"

Sheik was glad no one was in the village as the Hero carried him to his aunt's house. How would the population feel about their defender, carried by the Hero of Time like some damsel in distress? Struggling against the Hero's hold had proved futile as Link's gentle but firm grip held him in place. Although, he had to admit, being carried like this felt…nice. His rib didn't ache as much either, which surely was a good sign.

Opening the door for the Hero, Sheik was carried to the bed. Link gently put him down on it, smiling all the while. "See?" he asked. "Isn't that better?"

"It's a bed, Link," Sheik reminded him. "It's not going to heal me by its own."

"Right," said Link. "Are there any potions in here?"

"Check in the cupboard," said Sheik and pointed. His eyelids were getting heavy. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't slept for at least two days, having been keeping steady guard over the sleeping Hero in case of any other assassination attempts. The bed was truly soft, probably stuffed with cucco feathers (he knew Link would not approve if he knew), quite unlike the rough ones filled with hay at the ranch.

Link's voice sounded distant, like he was far away. "There's enough potion to feed an army in there…Sheik? Hey!"

Sheik opened his eyes, realising just now how tired he was. Adrenaline had probably kept him going through the temple, but now that they were out his body was finally claiming the sleep it had demanded for the past few days. "What?"

Link snickered, a familiar sound. But unlike the evil snicker he had heard inside the temple, this one was comforting, relieving. "You'll be fine, huh? Here, drink this."

Sheik tried glaring at Link as he took the bottle and drank the vile concoction. He felt warmth spreading from the pit of his stomach to the very tips of his fingers and toes, the potion already starting to heal the bruises on his body. He felt a finger prodding his rib again, but was too tired to react.

"Doesn't feel like it's been misplaced," the Hero murmured. "Probably just a fracture."

Sheik fell asleep to Link's voice, smiling beneath his cowl.

_There was…darkness. And there was…light. In a strange way, the two combined into a grey, drab environment. There was nothing there, only a vast, grey plain that stretched off into infinity._

_Sheik wondered what kind of strange dream he was having when a low snicker echoed around him. He swiftly whirled around, trying to gauge where the sound was coming from. Not behind him, not in front of him and not from either side of him. The only way was…up. He craned his head upwards. Nothing there either._

"_Looking for someone?" a voice whispered in his ear, causing the Sheikah to jump slightly. He tried to move away, but a strong arm wrapped around his chest, another encircling his waist. "Don't run away…there is no escape from me."_

_He recognised the voice, and shuddered. "So it is true…you were the one inside the temple."_

_Shadow chuckled, the vibrations causing Sheik to shiver. "Indeed, it was me…" His warm breath flowed over Sheik's cheek, making the Sheikah blush at the proximity of the Hero's Shadow's mouth._

"_What do you want?" asked Sheik. "Kill me? That's what you said beneath the lake…"_

_The Shadow chuckled again. "That's what I said…but I changed my mind when I saw how you and the Hero kept looking at and touching each other in the House of the Dead…then I decided not to."_

_The hand at his waist was gently rubbing at his bruised rib, almost making Sheik moan. It was gentle, barely touching. "What…do you want, then?" he asked, suppressing a shiver._

"_I…want…you," said the Shadow slowly. "Body and soul…the Hero truly adores you, and I wish to hurt him like no other before I kill him…and the fastest way to break him is making you mine…you're my possession."_

"_No!" Sheik said sharply and pulled away from the slackening embrace. He glared at the Shadow. His hand went for the handle of his sword, but it was not there. He then tried to grab a dagger from his wrist, but the concealing bandages were gone._

"_Looking for these?" asked the Shadow mockingly as he held opened his hand to reveal the small daggers. They disappeared, fading away as the Shadow laughed softly. In an instant, he was in front of Sheik, grabbing his cowl and pulling the Sheikah closer. "You're mine, there's no avoiding it."_

_Instead of answering, Sheik tried to break the grasp by giving the Shadow a swift kick in the stomach, but the Shadow simply grabbed his leg and flipped Sheik to the ground, holding the youth's arms above his head in a vice-like grip._

"_You cannot hurt me here, Sheikah," growled the Shadow. "This is _my_ realm, and there is nothing you can do to prevent me from doing this!" The Shadow ripped down his cowl, placing his lips to Sheik's in a searing kiss._

His eyes flew open, desperately looking around for the Hero's Shadow. But the only thing greeting his gaze was the inside of Impa's house. He was lying on his side, his vision blurry, and his body was heavy as lead. His heart was beating faster than Bongo-Bongo's drum, and he could still feel the Shadow's lips on his.

_It was a dream…a nightmare,_ he told himself. _The Shadow Temple got to you, Sheik…there's nothing to fear._

He had felt so utterly helpless when the Shadow had pinned him to the ground…he shuddered and closed his eyes again, worried that he would dream it again. Then an arm gently fell over his side, dragging him closer to a warm chest.

_Oh great…the Hero and I are sharing the bed…_

It was impossible to resist sleep when held like this. It was so utterly comfortable, and the rib was healing nicely, it seemed, not a twinge of pain issuing from it. His heartbeats were slowing down, Link's presence calming him. Again, the two sides of mind clashed.

_You've truly fallen for him…this is not right! You have a duty to perform! …The only thing you want is for the Hero to kiss you, hold you…keep you safe…_

Ignoring them, Sheik fell asleep again, this time not dreaming at all.

The deku nut transported him to the small cottage in the middle of the great forest to the south, the princess' hideout. The sun had barely risen above the mountains to the east, and the morning dew glinted as the beams hit the grassy field. Sheik approached the door, knowing that behind the bushes and trees, the elite soldiers of Hyrule were keeping their monarch safe. They knew who he was, so they did not bother him. His rib was fine now, although some of the ugly bruises from the well encounter still blemished his skin.

He had woken up before the Hero, carefully extracting himself from his embrace. He felt guilty for the pleasure and comfort he had taken from the Hero's arms. He was supposed to be his guide and partner, only assisting and observing as the Hero saved Hyrule, but now…now he admitted to having fallen in love with the Hero. And if what the Shadow had said was true…then Link had fallen for Sheik as well.

He had quickly banished that train of thought into the back of his mind, however, seeing as the encounter with the Shadow had merely been a dream, a trick his mind played on him in his fatigue. But just to be sure, he intended to return to the Water Temple before heading to the next temple, just to confirm that the Shadow was still weak and powerless.

He knocked on the wooden door, hearing stirrings within. The door opened, revealing an armed soldier, looking suspiciously at him.

"Who wanders in the night, keeping the family safe?" he asked gruffly.

"The shadow warriors, the eternally sworn," replied Sheik, bowing. It was a silly little ceremony, he thought, but it made the soldiers feel safe and certain that the Sheikah was the real one.

"Good to see you again, Sheik," said the soldier, stepping aside and letting the youth enter the small living room. "Her highness has been worried about you ever since Kaiza returned."

"I was…distracted," replied Sheik.

"Nothing serious, I hope," said the soldier.

"It wasn't, Reuben," said Sheik. "Truth to be told…I fell asleep. I had been going on my third day without rest and my body would take no more."

Reuben guffawed with laughter. "Some protector you are," he laughed and disappeared into the kitchen area. "Her highness is upstairs."

Sheik nodded and climbed the stairs, the steps creaking. He liked the soldier. Fiercely loyal, yet not a mindless sheep like many soldiers tend to be. It was no wonder he was her personal bodyguard now that Impa had woken up as the Sage of the Shadow Temple. Reaching the door at the top, he knocked on it.

"Yes?" asked a feminine voice as the door opened. "Sheik? Goddesses, I was so worried about you!" said Princess Zelda and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

Sheik let her do so, waiting until she let go to answer. "I'm fine, your highness," he said. "I apologise for the delay, the Hero and I both needed rest."

"So Link is fine as well," said Zelda, ushering the Sheikah into her room. She was clad in simple farmer's clothes, not bothering with royal dresses and tiaras. She looked good in them, Sheik thought.

"Yes," he said and nodded. "He has fully recovered from his injuries and is currently waiting in Kakariko village."

"Good, good," she said and paced the room. "With the Shadow Temple awakened, there is only one left, the Spirit Temple…" She suddenly looked up. "That's what I wanted to speak with you about!"

Sheik nodded, remembering the message.

"Yesterday, my spies reported something troubling about the Gerudo," she said and picked up a piece of paper from the overflowing desk in front of a window. "They have sealed every mountain pass that leads to the desert, Sheik." She handed him the paper, which he read. "The only way to the desert now is past their fortress…"

"This could prove a challenge," said Sheik and gave her the message back. "But I am sure the Hero is up to the task. We just need to sneak past them."

Zelda smiled. "I know…but I still worried. And I could not figure out how to say this in a message without revealing too much."

Sheik smiled at her. "There is no need to worry, your highness. The Hero is strong and wise"—he mentally cleared his throat at the latter—"and will rise to whatever challenge he faces." He bowed again. "If that is all, I will return and—"

"No," she interrupted him. "There is…something else…" She blushed and avoided looking into his eyes.

_She knows…_ he thought.

"Impa came to me in my dreams last night…" she began, looking at the floor. "She told me that…you and Link seem…attracted…to each other. Is this true?"

Now it was Sheik's turn to avoid _her_ gaze. He could not lie to her. It would be treason…but he felt so ashamed. "…I…" he began and stopped.

"Sheik," said Zelda softly and pulled down his cowl, cupping his cheek with her hand. "You can tell me, I'm your friend." She gasped.

Tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes and were slowly flowing down his face. "I…I…can't help it, Zelda." He sobbed, leaning into the embrace the princess was offering. "I try to stop myself, but I just…I just can't!"

"It's okay, shhhh…" she cooed, holding the shaking youth until he stopped crying. "I don't mind…there's nothing wrong with it." She whispered. "I just wanted to know if it's true."

"But…but it _is_ wrong," protested Sheik, looking up at her. "I'm a Sheikah, sworn to my duty…and…and—"

"You feel you are distracting him," said Zelda, smiling at the younger teen.

"Yes."

"Sheik, you're not distracting him," said Zelda firmly and pulled his cowl back up. "Rauru told me that he looked much more focused and relaxed when you two arrived in the Chamber of the Sages…and he was sure it was because of you. Impa was so glad you had finally found someone to connect with and…she was so happy for you. She believes that you becoming his partner is the best thing that could have happened."

"She…said that?" sniffled Sheik, remembering his aunt's words in the chamber.

"_**You and the Hero? You have my blessing."**_

He was starting to feel foolish, breaking down and crying in front of the princess like this. He wiped away the remaining tears and looked at Zelda. "Thank you," he said earnestly, causing the princess to giggle and hug him again.

"You're so cute, you know that?" she said. She kissed him on the forehead. "Now, go back to Link. There is still one more temple to unlock…and you have a desert to cross."

Sheik bowed, feeling much better than he had done when he first arrived. "Yes, your highness." He turned to leave, but Zelda called him back.

"Kaiza will accompany you through the mountains," she said, nodding at the falcon that had settled on the window frame. "She will be useful for scouting out areas."

"Thank you…Zelda," he said and left the cottage, leaving the princess to watch him from the window as he teleported away.

"You're growing up, Sheik," she whispered to herself and smiled. Then she felt guilty for sending the sixteen-year-old into such horrors that surely lay on the path ahead of them.

Outside the gate to Kakariko, Maladict and Epona stood grazing, both looking at Sheik lazily as he passed them. The villagers were coming back, a steady stream of people emerging from the path that led to Goron City. They smiled at him, happy that the monster beneath the well was gone forever. He was too deep in thoughts to smile back. The princess may have said it was okay to have fallen in love with Link, but his sense of duty kept pulling at him, reminding him of the dangers. If they acted on their feelings, then either of them could be used by the enemy to affect the other.

_That's it,_ he thought as he entered Impa's house. _I can't get close to him. It will all turn out for the worst in the end…_

"Hey," Link greeted him as he entered, looking at the Sheikah suspiciously. He was polishing the Master Sword, its surface gleaming. "Where were you?"

"Reporting to the princess," Sheik answered.

"Ah," said Link, going back to his polishing. He looked peaceful, smiling as he went about his work. His Hylian shield laid next to him, also polished until its surface shone like a mirror.

Sheik unsheathed Kazuya, realising that it too needed a polish. Dust coated the fine blade, and small splatters of blood from the monsters inside the Shadow Temple were speckled along the edge. He sat down next to Link, who handed him the polish.

"I guess we have to go to the next temple soon," he said as Sheik applied the oil to his sword.

"Soon, Link," replied Sheik.

The two warriors spent the rest of the morning in silence, preparing their equipment for the next challenge, both wondering if the other was going to take the next step…

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 11**

They would go the next day, they decided. They were still tired from the ordeal in the Shadow Temple, and they needed to gather supplies for the trek through the mountains and desert. Water was a priority, although Sheik was certain they would find more than enough natural springs before they reached the harsh heat of the Gerudo Desert.

They were staying in Kakariko, using Impa's house as a base of operations of sorts. Really, it was just a fancy expression for the place they slept.

The moon was rising over the land, much like the evening Link had almost died when emerging from the temple beneath Lake Hylia, and Sheik sat on the roof, studying a deku nut. He was looking for all reasons to procrastinate the errand he was about to run, but excuse after excuse failed against the logic that resided in his mind.

He was going to the Water Temple again to assess the situation with the Hero's Shadow. His hand was trembling, remembering the nightmare he'd had the night before. He gritted his teeth and tried to keep the hand still.

_I am a Sheikah, I live in the shadows…so why does this one creature frighten me so?_

He sighed when he realised there was no putting it off now and flung the nut against the roof, disappearing in a flash of light.

Link stepped out of the house, looking up at the roof where Sheik had been sitting. "Where are you going?" he asked the empty air.

He appeared inside the temple, standing on the central pillar this time, thankfully. The water was ice cold, and he didn't want to get soaked like last time. He briefly wondered why he hadn't teleported into the amoeba's chamber, certain that he had been thinking of the spiked room.

_I didn't…_ he thought. _I don't even want to be here…but if that…thing is still here, it would calm me and allow me to focus on my duties._

He jumped across to the other side, entering the large door. The spike traps on the small incline were rusting because of the dank and moist environment. Sheik stepped over them, his steps slowing down as he approached the smaller door at the top. Standing in front of it, he took a deep breath, steeled his mind and entered the chamber.

He jumped down into the former basin, looking around for any movement. He slowly turned his head to look at the corner he had first conversed with the shadow in. His eyes widened. There was nothing there! He cursed and punched the stone platform to his right, wincing as he felt the fist connect.

_How? There was nothing here on which it could feed on and regain its strength…unless._ He turned to the opposite corner, where he had found Navi's body. There had been quite a large amount of blood. Now there was nothing there. He wanted to smack his forehead. "Of course," he groaned.

"Indeed," said a now familiar voice.

Sheik whirled around and spotted the Shadow standing at the edge of the basin, smirking down at him. He was identical to Link, except that his clothes were all different shades of black, his hair a matte grey, his eyes a deep crimson, much like Sheik's own. An evil copy of the Master Sword and Hylian Shield rested on his back.

"You!" Sheik growled and drew Kazuya, the newly polished sword catching and reflecting the ambient lighting. He pointed to where the fairy had lost her life. "You…drank her blood?" He felt a bit of bile rising in his throat, but swallowed it, not wanting to appear weak. He had a feeling that if he showed weakness to the Shadow, it was already over.

The Shadow grinned and flipped down into the basin, stopping some feet away from Sheik. "What else was I supposed to do?" it asked with the same voice as Link's, only darker, more rough. "You deprived me of her body. But fairy's blood is an excellent source of power, so I suppose I'll thank you for leaving it." He eyed Kazuya with distaste. "You can put that away, I have no wish to fight with you this night."

Sheik narrowed his eyes. "You're lying."

Link's Shadow grinned even wider. "You're right…but it's not _that_ kind of fight I'm after tonight." He took a step toward Sheik, who took one backwards, Kazuya pointed at the Hero's dark reflection. "Come," he said, beckoning Sheik toward him. "We both know it's useless to fight me…only My Light can truly rid this world of me forever…and he thinks I'm dead."

Sheik turned around, climbing up the steep wall, trying to get on top of the basin. He looked behind himself briefly, seeing that the Shadow was gone. He swallowed and looked up. That infuriating smile grew even wider as the Shadow looked down at him. In surprise, Sheik let go of the stone and fell back into the basin, loosing his balance. He fell backwards, suddenly crashing against…a chest? Arms wrapped around his front, keeping him in place and preventing him from raising Kazuya.

"Calm down, Sheikah…how many times must I tell you that it's useless to fight me," whispered the Shadow and licked the shell of Sheik's ear. "Submit…and I can pleasure you in ways you could never imagine…" He turned Sheik around, pulled down the Sheikah's cowl, pressing his lips to Sheik's.

Sheik tried to struggle out of the grip, but the Shadow was unrelenting, biting down on Sheik's lips. He gasped, giving the Shadow an opportunity to push his tongue into his mouth. It was impossible to resist. He felt his knees give out, but the Shadow held him up, securing his arms more tightly around the Sheikah. Kazuya clattered to the floor. Suddenly, the Shadow withdrew from his mouth, leaning his head to the side to nuzzle his neck. Without warning, sharp teeth sunk into the fragile flesh of his neck, and Sheik groaned. The Shadow licked at the puncture wounds, relishing in the taste.

Then Sheik was dropped to the ground, the Shadow disappearing from his sight. He looked around, trying to find his enemy. He shakily picked up Kazuya, his entire being shivering. "Wh…where are you!?" he shouted. Receiving no answer, he took his chances and threw a deku nut to the ground, teleporting away.

He reappeared in the Kakariko Graveyard, panting and sweating profusely. He sat down, leaning against the large commemorative headstone honouring the Sheikah, letting his face drop into his hands. The movement caused him to gasp as the bite mark on his neck flared in pain. He ripped down his cowl, trying to look at the wound. He felt around the area, hissing as he found the mark.

He sighed and pulled out a small vial of red potion from his tabard, glad it hadn't broken during the…fight? Struggle? He wasn't sure what had occurred, but he shuddered when thinking back on it. Popping the cork, Sheik swallowed the potion in one gulp. It soothed the pain, and warmth once again spread to the damaged area.

_He's still alive…and he's trying to get to me to hurt Link…how did I make such a mess of everything?_

The bite mark started itching, and he tried to scratch the skin around it, but was surprised when he felt how warm his neck was growing. Tentatively feeling the mark, he realised that the wounds had closed and stopped bleeding…but the indentations in the skin were still there. His eyes widened, and he stood up. The mark wasn't disappearing.

Storming through the village, he stopped at the well, which had filled with water after Bongo-Bongo escaped. He made sure no one was looking and pulled down his cowl, trying to get a look at his neck in the reflection in the water. He gasped when he saw the vicious, red teeth marks that still appeared on his skin. The area was tender to the touch, and Sheik's fear was confirmed.

_He's…marked me as his…_

Everything was spiralling out of control. The Shadow was alive, could appear to Sheik anywhere, even in his dreams. What would it do next? Where would it stop?

A sombre silence had enveloped the two partners as they left the village, mounting their horses after leading them down the stairs. The two equines seemed to enjoy each other's company, and Sheik wondered if they were… He shook his head to stop the thoughts. Instead, he looked at Link, who also seemed not to be in a talkative mood that morning. He had never replaced his cap, and the first rays from the sun caught in his blond hair, making it shine.

"So, how come we can't just teleport there?" asked Link suddenly as they cantered along the plains.

Thankful for the break in the awkward silence, Sheik answered. "Because I don't know the song, Hero. I was supposed to follow you there, learn the song from the hieroglyphs in the temple and then teach it to you."

"Then how come you can't teleport there, learn the song, come back here and teach me? And my name is still Link." He looked at Sheik with a pointed gaze.

Ignoring the annoyance in Link's voice, Sheik shook his head. "I can't teleport anywhere if I can't visualise where I'm going. I have never been to the Desert Colossus, Link, and therefore cannot teleport there."

"Oh," said the Hero and looked back to the road in front of them.

Silence enveloped them again. Sheik couldn't understand why Link was suddenly so silent and brooding, having only experienced the Hero as a happy go-lucky child at heart. The bite mark on his neck, mercifully hidden by his cowl, stung again, and he bit down a hiss. Of all the things the Shadow could have done, this was the worst.

"Where did you go last night?" asked Link as Lon Lon Ranch appeared over the next hill.

"Pardon?" said Sheik. Had Link been spying on him?

"I woke up when you went outside and up on the roof," the Hero explained, keeping his gaze locked on the approaching ranch. "I thought you just needed some time to yourself, to think, you know? But then you teleported away with those nuts of yours, I got worried. I waited for an hour, Sheik, but you never came back. And then you were just…there this morning."

_Was I really gone for that long?_ Sheik thought. _It didn't even seem like five minutes…_

The Hero was waiting for an answer, he realised. "I…it's as you say, Hero. I needed to be by myself for a while…and I never truly feel alone in the village."

Link looked back at him, having not noticed that he was riding a bit faster than Sheik. "Then where did you go?"

"Lake Hylia," replied Sheik. It wasn't a lie. He _technically_ went to the lake, just a bit lower than ground level.

Link raised an eyebrow at the answer. He hadn't expected it.

"Don't look at me like that, Link," said Sheik. "Lake Hylia is one of the most peaceful places in Hyrule, especially now that the monsters are gone and the lake has been refilled. It's a good place to think."

"I'm sorry," apologised the Hylian suddenly, looking downcast.

"For what, Hero?"

"For being so nosy."

"It's what makes you you, Hero."

The Sheikah spurred Maladict on, giving Link a look that clearly said "can't catch me". The Hero of Time took his partner up on the challenge, both racing toward Lon Lon Ranch.

Greeted with open arms would be a sufficient phrase to describe what happened when the two appeared at the ranch gates. Malon hugged Link excitedly, happy that he was okay while Talon beat him savagely over the shoulder in what could called a friendly way…if they were Gorons.

They had stopped at the ranch in order to thank the two farmers for the hospitality they had been offered when the Hero was injured, but Talon waved it off, saying it had been nothing. He had pulled Sheik aside and thanked him for dealing with Ingo, divulging to the Sheikah that he had been planning to throw him out anyway. Sheik was continually surprised at the dark streak in the man's personality, but he supposed that seven long years of war and oppression could do that to anyone.

He had then tried to give Maladict back to Talon, feeling that he had borrowed the horse for too long. This too, the large man brushed aside, saying that Sheik would need the horse if they were to travel to the mountains. The horse had promptly bumped shake in the shoulder with his muzzle, as if offended by the idea of being separated from him…or Epona, if Sheik's suspicions were correct.

While Sheik and Talon spoke, Link and Malon had gone to Navi's grave. She showed him how she had planted flowers around the tree, saying that they were all sprouting with record speed. Link smiled sadly at the grave and thanked Malon, saying that the fairy would have wanted it this way.

They left, barely half an hour after they had arrived, not wanting to lose a second of daylight on the plains. Bands of roving bandits and soldiers roamed Hyryle Field during the night, and Stalchilds threatened at every turn.

Just as they were about to leave the gates, the father and daughter's calls made them stop. The farmers ran up to the partners.

"We never got your name," said Talon and looked at Sheik. Malon nodded.

Link smiled and cantered away, leaving the Sheikah alone with them.

"My name is Sheik," he said simply, wondering why it was so important for them to know it.

"Sheik," said Talon and smiled. "I just wanted you to know that you are always welcome at the ranch, no matter what." Malon nodded again. She was still afraid to speak to him, it seemed.

He nodded to them and started to follow Link, but smiled when he heard a female voice calling after him.

"Please come back soon!"

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 12**

"I think I should have brought my cap," said Link. They were moving down the path that would take them to the bridge across the river that eventually ended at Lake Hylia. Already, the rock around them were absorbing the heat from the sun, turning the area into an oven.

"Why is that?" asked Sheik.

"Because I feel weird without…and I think we're really mismatched with the way you still have your turban on." He grinned at Sheik. "Can I see undernea—"

"No, you may not," Sheik said, but by then it was already too late. The Hero had found and grabbed the loose end of the wrap and was pulling at it. Sheik could feel it loosening. He slapped Link's hand away, groaning as he saw the white cloth fall from his head, feeling his hair coming loose.

"Whoa," Link exclaimed. "Your hair is almost as long as Malon's!"

_Typical, I indulge myself in _one_ area, and he bloody finds it,_ Sheik thought, his hair cascading down his back.

"Satisfied?" he asked, making Maladict stop so he could pick up the cloth. He frowned when he saw it had attracted dirt like a magnet. He really didn't want to wrap his hair up in a dirty turban. He folded the cloth and put it in one of the saddle packs on Maladict.

Link kept staring at the golden tresses, only nodding dumbly. "Uh-huh," he said.

"Good, then we can keep going," Sheik said, climbing back into Maladict's saddle, spurring the stud on. It _did_feel good to have his hair loose for once, he had to admit. It cooled his head slightly, and that alone was worth the invasion of privacy.

"And my hair is _not_ as long as Malon's…it barely reaches past my shoulders."

He glanced up, seeing a dot flying above them. Kaiza was keeping a lookout. If an enemy approached, she would let them know.

Sheik recognised the area around them. They were close to the bridge now. Hopefully the Gerudo hadn't thought of destroying it. If they had, it would mean a suddenly slowdown in their pace, and he didn't feel comfortable about leaving the horses in this sweltering heat.

As they rounded the bend, they both cursed—Link loudly and Sheik silently. The rope bridge had been cut, its separated paths hanging uselessly down the chasm. Below, the river gurgled as it flowed past.

"They've destroyed it!" the Hero shouted, his shoulders sagging. He too knew what it meant. "Now we've gotta walk the whole way!"

Sheik had already climbed off Maladict and was taking the saddle and packs off. The horse bumped his muzzle to Sheik's shoulder in gratitude. It was hot for the horses too, and having to carry two warriors with a ton of equipment and supplies with them was probably not high on their list of enjoyable trips.

After both Epona and Maladict had been relieved of their burdens, Link and Sheik spent an unfruitful ten minutes trying to get them to leave the valley so they wouldn't die of starvation, thirst or the heat. Of course, when dealing with horses like Epona and Maladict, one can only expect failure if one tries to make them do something they don't wish to.

"Are they being stupid on purpose or something?" Link sighed and sat on a rock near the edge of the cliff, staring at the other side.

"They are horses…they can be stubborn as mules and still get away with it," said Sheik and joined the Hero. They were both sweating in the heat, and the weight of their packs weren't helping. Sheik had gathered his hair into a ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way, and Link kept looking at it. "What?" Sheik asked finally, tired of the looks.

"I kinda want to…" Link reached over to the gathered hair, and Sheik understood right away what he was attempting. He turned his head away, keeping the hair out of Link's reach.

"You are not yanking at my hair," Sheik said firmly. _He's such a child sometimes it's not even funny…_

"But I want to," the Hero of Time, Hyrule's last hope, whined.

"Nope, not going to happen," said Link and shook his head. "You can't jump over the river."

"I have to try, Hero," Sheik said. "There's no other way of getting across, if you haven't noticed. Your feathers won't allow you to float that long."

"I don't need the feathers for this," said Link and pulled out his Longshot. "We can just use this. But I don't really want to be tossing this thing back and forth across that fall." He put a finger to his chin, tapping it as he thought.

The Sheikah already knew the conclusion he would come to, and started to shake his head no prematurely. "We are not doing that."

"There's no other way of getting across, if you haven't noticed," said Link, making his best impression of Sheik's voice. "Get your pack and we can get going."

Knowing it was no use in arguing; Sheik flung the sack onto his back and came back to the Hero, who was looking closely at the thick board hanging from the ropes on the other side. An eye had been painted on it, looking very similar to the boards placed around the temples for the Longshot to grab on to.

_How…convenient,_ he thought.

He stepped in front of Link, who opened his arms. He stepped into them, wrapping his own around Link's shoulders, blushing all the while. Link grabbed Sheik's waist with his left arm, aiming the Longshot with his right. There was a click, and the hook shot out from the Longshot, burying itself in the wood. The Hero hovered a finger over the button that would cause the chain to retract, hopefully taking them to the other side.

"Ready?" asked Link.

"Yes…this had better work, Hero."

**Click!**

There had been a brief, awkward moment when they had dangled from the board. A slight miscalculation in Link's aim had caused them hang precariously over the slight gap between the remains of the bridge and the other side. Sheik had calmly pointed this out, to which the Hero could merely grin embarrassed and say "Oops."

They had worked it out in the end by starting to swing slightly, and dropping to the ground one by one.

The heat got worse as they advanced through the many passes and paths in the mountains. At one point, Link had to take off his leggings, baring his legs to the world. Sheik wished he could do the same, the exoskeleton was getting unbearably warm, and the fabric clung to his sweaty skin. And the cowl made everything worse as it trapped the warm air around his face.

In the end, it was a matter of will power…and Sheik had none of it when the sun stood high at noon, baking the land beneath it. He ripped it off and tossed it unceremoniously into his sack, much to the amazement of Link, who gaped at the other teen.

"What?" asked Sheik, pretending he hadn't just looked a lunatic. When the Hero didn't answer, he stepped up to him, glaring. "Is there something wrong with my face?" he demanded.

"No," said Link, mesmerised. "It's…perfect." He reached out and gently stroked Sheik's cheek, causing the Sheikah to blush. "Sheik…you're blushing."

Sheik huffed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking ab—"He stopped. Fingers were touching the marks on his neck.

_Damnit, the cowl!_ he screamed in his mind.

"What's this?" asked Link, trying to get a closer look. Sheik pushed away and went to his pack to fish out his cowl again, feeling ever so foolish for forgetting why he had been wearing it in the first place.

"Nothing, Hero. It's just a scratch…"

"No," said Link. "It looked more like a…a bite mark! Did you fight with a monster last night?" he asked, assuming a no-nonsense stance.

Grateful for Link's inability to distinguish between human bites and animal bites, Sheik answered. "Yes, I was ambushed by a wolfos at the lake." It was a bad lie, he knew, but surely the Hero's inner child would believe it.

"You've got to be more careful, Sheik. Those wolves aren't something you want to mess with. But I guess you gave him back tenfold for that, huh?" He handed Sheik a bottle filled with red potion.

Sheik refused the bottle. "No, I want it to scar, to remind me of my foolishness," he said. He was clipping his cowl to his tabard when Link's hand took the cowl away.

"You really shouldn't cover your face with this," Link said and eyed the mask with distaste. "You're far too beautiful for it."

Whether it was the heat or something else that made him say it was unknown, but Sheik didn't care either way.

The sun was setting when they made their camp in a hidden nook in the stone some distance away from the main road they had been travelling along. They had passed several roads blocked by fallen rocks. Sheik knew the avalanches were manmade. He mentally cursed the Gerudo for being so deviously clever as to block the most direct paths to the desert.

The temperature was dropping rapidly, and Sheik was currently making up a fire while Link made sure to cover their tracks in case a Gerudo patrol came by. Sheik had tried stopping him, reminding the Hero that the Gerudo would see them anyway because of the smoke, but the Hero had replied it was just a habit he needed to satisfy.

But the danger of any patrols this far from the thieves' fortress was miniscule. The almost entirely female race cared little for affairs so close to Hyrule. No, they were probably all at their fortress, waiting for the Hero of Time to dumbly walk right into their trap. They didn't expect that Sheik was with him, however.

He put a pot over the fire, boiling water and adding bits of meat and vegetables, making a thin broth. It was the best he could do with what they had. Most of the space in their packs was occupied by bottles of water, many of which had been consumed on the first day. He had hoped to find a water source before they had to make camp, but that hope was squished when they met a dry riverbed. The Gerudo had probably dammed up the river too. Anything to make the Hero's journey more difficult.

_Blasted women,_ he thought as he tasted the broth, adding some salt when the flavourless water passed over his tongue. _Some dinner this is,_ he thought bitterly and poured some broth into two wooden bowls, handing Link one when he came back.

They ate in silence, enjoying the ambient sounds of the mountains.

"This is good," said Link, smiling at Sheik.

"Surely not," replied Sheik and stared hatefully at the cooking pot. "I wouldn't feed this to a pig."

"Now don't say that. You may not think it's very good, but this is heaps better than the stuff I ate in the Lost Woods, for example."

"…what _did_ you eat in the Lost Woods."

"Roots and berries that made my tummy hurt."

_Unbelievable…_

An annoying attribute these mountains shared with Gerudo Desert was the stifling hot days and icy cold nights. Sheik and Link were huddled around the fire, desperately trying to keep warm. The extra cloaks and blankets they had brought along helped little.

"You know, the Shadow Temple was the best experience I've had so far," said Link, his teeth clacking.

"What do you mean, 'best experience'?" asked Sheik. His teeth weren't clacking together, but he had lost the feeling in his hands. "It is a tomb, it's supposed to be dreary, depressing…"

"No, not in atmosphere," scoffed Link and shuffled a little closer to the fire. "But…I don't know how to explain it, but I almost enjoyed myself in there. And I know why, too." He looked into Sheik's eyes. "It was because you were there with me."

Sheik didn't know what to answer and settled with making a "Hn".

"With Navi, it was always plain business," Link continued. "She just wanted to get out of the temples as soon as possible, I think. She didn't care much for being inside."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to thank you, Sheik. I want to thank you for being with me…making me feel not as alone as I did when I first started out. And," Link cupped Sheik's cheek with his hand and pressed his soft lips to the Sheikah's, "because I wanted to do that and needed to distract you," he finished and smiled.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 13**

_Please…let this moment last forever…an eternity until the end of time…_

Unfortunately, the prayer had no effect, and Sheik saw Link's face droop more and more for each second that passed in his lack of response. He was frozen, his fingers lightly touching his lips where the Hero's had been seconds before.

"I knew it," whispered Link and stood up, his eyes watering. "I'm sorry, Sheik. I'll…I'll go away."

"Hero…wait."

Link turned around, a hopeful look in his eyes. His tears gleamed in the firelight. "Y…yes?"

"You didn't tell me why you did it," said Sheik, standing up as well, stepping up to the Hero and placing his hands on his shoulders. "I want to know why you just kissed me."

Link blushed, but smiled happily. "I don't know…I just…I just wanted to…I like you, Sheik, I really, really do. And I didn't know how to say it since you're always so quiet, and mphhhh—"

He never got to finish the explanation, because Sheik had leant up and silenced him with a kiss of his own. Smiling softly at the bumbling Hero, Sheik drew him into an embrace, resting his cheek against the older teen's chest. "It's okay, Hero…" he said. "I like you too."

They bundled together for the night, partly out of their newfound fondness for each other and partly because of the cold…probably mostly because of the cold, but neither of them cared. At first light of dawn, Sheik was the first to wake up. He was lying back against the Hero's front, essentially spooning (or at least as close to spooning they could get with the many layers of blankets they had wrapped around themselves). He disentangled himself from the mess, shivering slightly in the morning cold. He knew it would soon be stifling hot again, and dreaded another day like the previous…although he also looked forward to it since Link would be there.

But it wasn't the sharp rays burrowing into his eyes that had woken him, he knew. The Shadow's mark had stung again, pretty badly this time, and Sheik just knew that it was watching them…somewhere. There were hundreds of nooks and crannies it could hide in, especially if there were shades in them. He eyed one such nook with suspicion as he took a drink of water from a flask, wincing in slight pain as the icy cold water hit his teeth.

"What time is it?" someone suddenly said, and a pair of strong, green-clad arms wrapped around him.

Sheik smiled and twisted out of the embrace, handing Link the bottle. The Hero raised the bottle in thanks and took a deep draught, also wincing from the coldness.

"It's dawn, Hero," Sheik said and started bundling the blankets together. "If we hurry up, we can make some headway while it's still a tolerable temperature out here."

"Right," said Link and helped him packing the sacks. "How far is it to the fortress?"

"At our current speed," said Sheik slowly. "I'd say a day's march." He looked up at the hero's snicker and gave him a questioning glance.

"Sorry," giggled the Hero. Yes, giggled. "But…did you know you roll your eyes when you're thinking?"

_They do?_

"No, I did not know this," Sheik said and hurled the Hero's sack at him, Link catching it easily. "And I'll thank you not to point out embarrassing facts about me."

"Your head turns to the left when you kiss me—ow! Don't pinch!"

They had only walked for half an hour before they felt the heat coming on again, gradually getting warmer and warmer the further east the walked…which made no sense to Sheik, but he was not prepared to argue with the laws of nature since he could teleport with a nut from a tree.

They did not talk much except to indicate something interesting—usually funnily shaped rocks and such—or ask for more water. Kaiza had not spent the night with them, Sheik had suddenly remembered as they walked, but her familiar form in the sky reassured him she was still there. She had probably just found some little, furry creature to torment before eating it and had been feasting all night.

He had completely given up on the cowl now, and the tabard would soon follow if it kept heating up like it was. Link was enjoying the view—and not that of nature, although he tsk-ed slightly whenever he saw what he thought was a Wolfos bite.

_I have to tell him sooner or later,_ was a recurring thought whenever he heard the disappointed sound from the Hero. _If he knew about the Shadow…he would be more prepared for it when it attacks him again…but if I tell him now, he won't stop until he has killed it, and that will keep from concentrating on his quest._

They stopped to take a break when they entered an outcrop above them, a natural ceiling which provided some much needed relief from the burning sun. They took turns in splashing their faces with the remaining water in the bottle they had been drinking of since morning, cooling themselves slightly down.

They were eating a bit of the bread they had brought with them when Link made a sound.

"Hm," he said.

"What?" asked Sheik.

"Does…last night mean we're…together now?" He blushed.

"I suppose it does, Link," said Sheik and smiled. He leant forward. Link grinned and quickly closed the gap between them.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of doing that," he said when they parted.

"We have only kissed twice, He—Link." Sheik caught himself, remembering his promise.

"You know, it's okay if you want to call me Hero again," Link mused, finishing his slice of bread. "When you say it, it feels good."

_Just when I was starting to get used to the idea…thanks a lot, Hero…_

They were overjoyed to find the river. Their water was starting to run out, and Link had started to plan to dig a well, which Sheik took as a sign of the Hero's brain overheating and had dumped half a bottle over his head…which he regretted right afterwards.

But there it was, drawing a thin line through the landscape, the water sparkling invitingly. Sheik's plan had been to just refill their bottles and continue on their way, but Link…Link had other plans. As Sheik had bent down to fill the first of fourteen bottles, a loud whoop had caught his attention and had looked up just in time to see a Hero clad in his underwear diving into the river, soaking Sheik with a cannonball.

The Sheikah grunted annoyed and continued his task, making sure to fill the bottle upstream from the river.

"Come on, Sheik. The water's great!" Link shouted, waving at him.

"You've already given me a taste," said Sheik, corking the last bottle. "I'm soaked to the bone because of you."

"Ain't it great?"

"…yes."

It _was_ tempting to wrench off the tabard and exoskeleton and dive in after Link, but something kept Sheik from doing this. He couldn't figure out what it was. All he knew was that he didn't mind looking at Link when he emerged from the water, drying himself with one of the blankets, to Sheik's slight annoyance since it would be useless that night if it didn't dry…which was why Link was appointed to carry the blanket under the sun. He had grumbled for a bit, but saw Sheik's point and agreed. Not that it was a hard task, by the time the sun reached its zenith, the blanket was positively steaming hot.

"How old are you, Sheik," Link said out of the blue as they rounded a curve in the road. They were approaching the point where the road branched—or practically dissolved—into hundreds of smaller paths, footways and every other kind of small road.

"Sixteen," the Sheikah answered, looking at Link when the Hero coughed. "What?"

"I feel like such a pervert, all of a sudden," replied the Hero and grinned uneasily.

Sheik scoffed and swiped at a fly that had suddenly buzzed into his face. "Technically speaking, Hero, you're still just eleven years old. If any of us should feel like a pervert, it's me."

"And?"

"What?"

"Do you feel like a pervert?"

"No."

They lapsed back into silence, the effort of speaking proving just a smidge too much in the heat. Their breaths came in short gasps as they climbed a hill.

"I…thought…you…were…older," panted Link, almost losing his footing. "You…always speak…so dignified…and grown up."

"Seven years of…duty to the princess…will do that to…anyone," answered Sheik, faring a bit better due to his less weighty equipment. "Seven…long years of…war, murder, pillage and rape…"

_Goddesses, did I just imply that it's the princess' fault that this war erupted? This heat is killing us both slowly…_

They encountered the first of the female thieves just before the sun settled behind the peaks to the west. Sheik was glad they had made it as far as they had in just two days, despite certain…hold-ups.

The woman was on patrol, judging by her light equipment. She rode on a great, white horse that seemed to glow in the last rays of the day. She wore a heavy, white robe to protect her from the heat, the only thing visible being her eyes through a slit between the hood of the robe and a scarf wrapped around her face. She didn't appear to notice them as she rode past, her attention seemingly focused on the crags and peaks around them.

Sheik had pulled Link into a small alcove-like crevice next to the path, holding his hand over the Hero's mouth, trying to keep him quiet. The Hero hadn't noticed the horsewoman, and had kept talking loudly about his hate for cuccoos until Sheik had suddenly sprung into action.

"How can she stand wearing all that?" asked Link. They were climbing up a narrow path, both of them wanting to get away from what seemed to be the main road for the Gerudo patrols.

"The fabric keeps the sun out, Hero," answered Sheik, wishing he had thought of brining along a couple of robes himself. "With that outfit, the only heat she has to worry about is her own body heat, which is substantially easier to stand."

"Wish we had thought of that," muttered Link.

_My thoughts exactly, Hero._

_**And mine…**_

Sheik froze at the familiar, echoing voice. The mark pulsating slightly, he looked around, trying to figure out where it had come from. Link continued climbing, seemingly oblivious to the voice.

_**He can't hear me, Sheikah…**_

_Where are you, foul creature?_

_**Where do you think? My, my, you had quite some dirty thoughts about the water cascading down My Light's muscled torso, didn't you? Heh, I can only hope you will think the same of me when I come tonight…**_

_You're in my head?_

The echoing laughter faded away, never answering Sheik's question. He jumped when Link's voice called after him.

"Sheik? You coming?"

Sheik blinked, looking at the waiting Hero. If Link noticed his ashen expression, he didn't say anything, just waited. Sheik took one last look around and followed. "I thought I heard something," he explained without much conviction, to which Link only nodded and kept walking.

Kaiza joined them for supper that evening, although Sheik and Link tried to look away as the falcon tore open its prey—a large mouse of some kind—and feasted upon its insides.

Link had volunteered to cook that night, but Sheik had quickly denied his request. "The fire will give us away, Link, we're in the Gerudo valley now."

More rapidly drying bread and lukewarm water was on the menu, along with a few pieces of meat for flavour. The vegetables had rotted in the heat and were useless, if not downright dangerous to eat.

They were both tired, and said little to each other, only resting against each other, enjoying each other's company. Well, Link did, anyway. Sheik was too busy worrying about the promise from the Shadow.

_When is he coming? Where is he coming? In this world, or my dreams?_

"You're tense," said Link, attempting to massage Sheik's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Hero," replied Sheik, keeping his gaze on the shadows cast by the full moon. "I'm just keeping a lookout for Gerudo…"

"Isn't that Kaiza's job," asked the Hero, pointing at the falcon observing the Hero's massaging hand with barely concealed hate. The bloody falcon was jealous, the Hero realised soon after.

"Yes, but even she must have a break, Hero. She's been watching out of us all day."

"Hm…"

Worry had settled in his stomach, and stayed there for the entire evening. They decided that they should sleep in turns, one keeping watch while the other rested. They trusted Kaiza, but this was the Gerudo's native land, and they had surely found some way to move unnoticed through the mountains. Sheik tried to take first watch, but Link had pushed him down and bundled him inside blankets, not saying a word apart from "Sleep."

Annoyed at being treated like a child, Sheik tried to protest, but stopped when he felt just how good it felt to lie down. He tried not to close his eyes, worried about the Shadow. In the end, though, it was impossible to fight against the beckoning hand of sleep, and his crimson eyes closed slowly.

_Again, he was in that vast, grey nothing. Unexpectedly, he was clad in his usual uniform, turban and cowl in place. This time, he was prepared and stood in his combat stance when the Shadow materialised behind him and attempted to grab him. To his surprise, the kick actually connected this time, catching the Shadow by surprise and flinging it to the ground._

_It growled and retaliated by moving faster than Sheik's eye could move and punched the Sheikah in the stomach. Sheik dropped to he ground, panting from the sudden lack of air._

"_Nice try, my pet," said the Shadow, grinning at the Sheikah._

"_I…thought…I…couldn't hurt you…in this place,"_ _said Sheik, gulping for air._

_The Shadow yanked him up from the ground by his cowl and claimed Sheik's lips in a possessive kiss. When the Sheikah started punching him in the chest because he couldn't breathe, he let go and chuckled. "You can hit me all you want here, pet, but you cannot hurt me…" He licked his lips and approached Sheik, seizing him by a lock of hair that had escaped the turban. The Shadow ripped off the cowl, smiling at the mark he had left on Sheik in the Water Temple. "You're so beautiful with my mark on you."_

_Suddenly, the Shadow stepped away, growling at the grey sky. "My Light is really pushing it this time."_

_Sheik felt like he was in a trance. "Wh…what?"_

"_He's trying to wake you up, the damnable boy," the Shadow said, kissing Sheik again. The Sheikah didn't resist, feeling a wave of weakness and repulsion flowing over him. "Don't forget, pet, you belong to me, and I'm only allowing you time with My Light."_

_Light exploded around them, taking Sheik far away from the dark figure._

He woke with a start, feeling Link's hand shaking him.

"Sheik," he whispered. "We've got company." His eyes were wide with panic. "At least a dozen of them."

Trying to still his shaking body, Sheik stood up. The mark still pulsed, as if the Shadow was reminding him of the dream. He listened carefully, and heard the familiar sound of feet trudging quietly along the cliffs and paths. Sometimes, a whispered command in the harsh language of the Gerudo could be heard. The steps were getting closer.

"They've got us surrounded," he said quietly to Link. "There's no way out." He looked around, trying to spot their feathered friend. "Where's Kaiza?"

"She took off while you were asleep," answered Link. "She came back and…warned me, I guess, about the Gerudo before she disappeared again. She left us."

"That's what she has been trained to do, Hero. She is the personal messenger of the princess, as I told you, and she must not fall into enemy hands."

"Fine, fine, but what do we do now?"

Sheik freed a dagger from his wrist bandages and pulled out Kazuya from its sheath. "We fight."

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 14**

It was comforting to have an ally at his back for once. Usually, when the situation called for open combat, Sheik had been alone. He had been lucky those times, as his missions had usually been of the assassination-type where all he had to do was to slit someone's throat in their sleep. But the targets sometimes woke up, and immediately called to arms, forcing Sheik to hold his own against an entire room full of enemies. He wondered how many scars he'd have if such a thing as the red potion did not exist. He had always completed his missions in the end.

He had never fought Gerudo before, only observed them from a distance when he had been spying in the region two years before Link woke up in the Temple of Time. He knew they were fierce warriors, skilled in fighting with both spears and those wicked curved blades of theirs. And they were fast. Sheik was sure most of them could rival him in agility and sheer ability to dodge and dip their way out of harm's way.

And now they were surrounded by at least a dozen of the desert thieves. And he was feeling sick. The encounter with the Shadow had drained him of any additional stamina his bout of sleep had granted.

But, the Hero was with him, and that's all he needed.

The first of the fierce desert folk appeared above them, looking down at them from a small outcrop. She was wearing considerably lighter clothing than the scout they had encountered during the day, a mere tight-fitting purple robe-like garment with a patch of cloth covering the lower half of her face. She was wielding a length of wood with a wicked-looking blade at the tip, much larger than a typical spear. Her eyes widened, and called out to her comrades. She was silenced by a rock thrown by the Hero. She tumbled out of sight, out cold.

But it was too late. The others knew where they were now. Link drew his sword and shield, getting into his usual combat stance. Sheik held his dagger in a reverse grip in his left hand and Kazuya in his right. He bent his legs, ready to spring upon the next attacker.

"We're screwed," said Link quietly, his gaze fixed on one of two possible entrances to their campsite.

"Not until we both lie bleeding, Hero," said Sheik. "They will come at us in two and twos. One will distract, one will attack. Ignore the distracting one and defend against the attacking one until you find and opening." He had no idea if the strategy would work since he had developed it on observation alone, but it was worth a shot.

_We might just be able to win…if those scimitar-wielding ones don't show up…_

In retrospect, he realised he should have known not to trust his luck. He cursed inwardly when two Gerudos appeared on the path before him, both wielding the wicked-looking swords…dual wielding, even.

Link was luckier in that regard, as his two opponents just had those spears. His Hylian shield provided good protection against the long weapons, allowing the Hero time to think.

The first blow Sheik blocked was so strong that it almost numbed his arm. Kazuya vibrated violently, almost making its wielder do it as well. He jumped backwards, away from the two grinning women. The ones with the scimitars were not wearing the facial coverings, to Sheik's surprise.

_Mistake…_ he thought as he felt something approach from his left. The other swordswoman had snuck past him and were hurtling toward him with frightening speed, her blades held high and ready to strike. Deciding not to risk it, he rolled out of the way. Somewhere behind him, Link fought with his two opponents. He heard the sounds of steel against steel, the grunts from the Hero as dodged a spear blade.

He turned his attention back to his opponents. They were both circling him now, biding their time. Sheik realised he had no idea of how to beat them. If he attacked one, he would be far too preoccupied to dodge an attack from the other one. This had never been a problem before…but then, his opponents in the past had usually been incompetent buffoons hired by Ganondorf to bolster his army's ranks. These women lived for battle.

Movement to his right. He brought Kazuya up just in time to block a vicious strike. His dagger came up a second later, blocking the other scimitar. And they both pushed, neither side relenting. Sheik gritted his teeth, sweat running down his forehead. The one behind him didn't do anything, he realised. She was…watching? Waiting for an opportunity. This was as good as any moment to stick him in the back, he knew. But the blow never came.

The Gerudo in front of him was still grinning, her golden eyes shining in the moonlight. An idea suddenly came to Sheik, and he drew his head back, launching it forward to collide with the Gerudo's, his forehead hitting her right above her nose. She shrieked, falling backwards, holding her bleeding nose. Feeling slightly dizzy from the blow, Sheik whirled around, facing the other Gerudo, who was now looking nervous. She had waited too long, she seemed to think.

Sheikah and Gerudo had clashed in battle before, many decades before Sheik was born, and both sides had passed down stories about the other's viciousness and skill in battle. His remaining opponent seemed to have been told these stories, and her face settled into a grim mask of determination as she raised one scimitar above her head and lowered one to level with her knee, both points toward Sheik.

Sheik readied himself, knowing that this one would not go as easily down as the first. By chance, he happened to glance up, and saw that many more Gerudo were standing on the cliff where the first had been knocked out by Link's rock. They were following the fights intently, most likely gauging the partners' strength.

_Shit!_

His opponent had drawn slightly back, legs preparing to jump. When she leaped, she spun in the air, her blades a whirling tornado of steel. Kazuya was unable to stand against it and was ripped away from his hand, Sheik barely getting away from the desert warrior. His sword clanged to the ground, and his dagger switched hands. He wondered what to do now.

_Surrender, apparently,_ he thought when he felt the ice-cold edge of a scimitar lightly grazing against his throat, his first opponent having recovered from the blow to her nose.

"Give up," she said, pushing her scimitar slightly harder against Sheik's throat. Seeing no other way, the Sheikah dropped his dagger.

"Hero of Time," called one of the Gerudo from the cliff. "There is no use in struggling any more. Surrender now or your Sheikah partner dies."

Sheik turned his head to look at Link, who was looked up from his fight, staring at Sheik with wide eyes. Seemingly without thinking, the Master Sword and Hylian shield fell to the ground. The Gerudo whose nose Sheik had broken kicked Sheik in the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel. The same was done to Link. Sheik looked regretfully at Link.

"I'm sorry, Hero…"

"Don't be," replied Link, smiling sadly. "We never had a chance."

"That is true," said the Gerudo from the cliff. She, apparently the leader of the party, jumped down into the campsite, striding toward them. "Though I must say you fought well." She was wearing green lipstick, and her uniform was the same colour. Her hair was cut shorter than the others'.

"What shall we do with them?" asked the one who had captured Sheik.

The leader paused and seemed to think deeply. "We will take them back to the fortress," she said and nodded to them, making a fist and hitting her other hand's palm with it.

Sheik felt a blow to the back of his head, and only darkness followed…

He could feel the shackles even before he woke up. Sheik groaned, his head aching and opened his eyes slowly. The room was completely dark save for the weak light from a small torch on the wall. His hands were locked to the wall behind him, over his head, making for quite an uncomfortable position. A chain had been attached to his right ankle. He tried to follow it with his eyes, finding it stuck in the wall.

"Quite a predicament you've gotten yourselves in," said the dreaded voice of Link's Shadow, coming from somewhere to his left. Sheik turned to look at him, spotting the Shadow standing over Link's unconscious form, the Hero left in the exact same position as his partner.

"Stay away from him!" Sheik growled

"Oh, that I shall," laughed the Shadow and stalked over to Sheik, leaning down and stroking his cheek. "I've yet to fully make you mine…and I want him to know about it before I end his pathetic existence." Sheik tried to turn his head away from the hand, the Shadow slapped him before grabbing his chin, forcing his head place. "Hm…that struggling of yours need to end. It's not good for a pet to fight its master…"

Sheik spat him in the face, receiving yet another slap from the Hero's mirror image. It was about to repeat the blow, but a groan from Link made it stop. It observed the mumbling Hero, leaning close to Sheik's ear.

"I'll be back."

Then it stepped back, disappearing into the shadows.

"Wh…where are we?" asked Link, looking dazedly around.

"Gerudo Fortress," answered Sheik, trying his best to ignore his stinging cheek. How on earth did the Shadow continually stalk him like this without being seen?

"Oh." Link tried to move his hands, finding them locked in place above his head. "I guess we really sucked in that fight."

_Not really, Hero,_ Sheik thought. _You were holding your own quite well…it was I who foolishly lost focus._ He didn't say it out loud; for he had a feeling the Hero would not accept that Sheik had screwed up.

"My head hurts," complained the Hero.

"Mine too, Link," said Sheik, feeling the dull ache. He was sure he had a bump on the back of his head. He tried to shake it a bit, to get the wooziness away, but was only rewarded with a sting and a curtain of hair covering his vision.

"What do you think will happen now?" Link asked, looking down at the rough stone floor.

"If we're lucky…they will kill us," replied Sheik, knowing that it was not the answer the Hero was looking for. At his partner's shocked expression, he rolled his eyes. "Believe me, it would be better. If they send you to Ganondorf…" He didn't even want to finish the sentence and settled for shuddering.

Their talk was interrupted by the door in front of them being opened, the heavy wood crashing into the wall. In the doorway, the Gerudo that had been the leader of the group that captured them stood, now wearing an exotic, red outfit that surely would have set a few hearts pumping.

"Ah, you're awake. Good," she said and used the lone torch to light the other ones around the room. "I apologise for the accommodations, but—"

"Spare us the fake politeness, Gerudo," interrupted Sheik.

She seemed taken slightly aback, but smoothly covered it up with a calm smile. "Ah, Sheikah, always feisty." She sat down on a chair that stood in front of them. "My name is Aveil, I am second in command of the Gerudo Fortress and Exalted Nabooru's aide."

"How interesting," drawled Sheik.

Aveil laughed. "There is no need to be rude, boy."

"Then tell us why you're here," said Link, joining in. "What are you going to do with us?"

"So, no time for idle chat?" said Aveil and looked disappointed. "Very well." She stood up, pacing back and forth in front of them. "I have a bit of a dilemma. You see, the Great Ganondorf, our king, ordered me to let him know when you two showed up in our valley. However, Nabooru, before she went to the Desert Colossus ordered me to disobey our king at every turn, for neither she nor I agree to what he has done."

Hope was rekindled in Sheik's heart. _Does this mean…?_

Aveil sighed. "However, he is my king, and I cannot disobey."

The hope was gone as quick as it had appeared.

"Unless, of course, you're willing to make a little wager." They both looked at her, confused. She smiled. "It has been years since we seen a fight like the one you challenged my girls to last night. Ganondorf—"she spat the name now—"has not ordered us into battle, preferring to use _men_ in his armies."

Sheik held in a snort. Had Ganondorf known any better, he would have deployed the Gerudo right away. The Evil King sure was short-sighted.

"So, instead of letting him know you're here right away," said Aveil and clapped her hands together, her golden eyes surveying the two teens, "I want to arrange another battle with my strongest warrior."

Sheik wanted to groan. Surely the Hero had been through enough?

"Alright," said Link. "I'll do it—"

"Not you, Hero of Time," said Aveil, dismissing him with a hand. "I want to see what the Sheikah can do in a fair fight." She eyed Sheik with an analyzing gaze. "What say you?"

"What happens if I win?" asked Sheik, noticing Link violently shaking his head in the corner of his vision.

"You both go free, of course," said Aveil, smiling. "And you'll both become honorary members of the Gerudo tribe. No one has ever been able to sneak so far into our valley before. Your thieving skills are phenomenal!"

"And if I lose?"

Now her smile fell. "Then I will be forced to send the Hero of Time to the king. Nabooru and I may not be as loyal to him, but many of our girls are. They do not know any better, the poor dears."

"What about Sheik?" interrupted Link. "What will you do to him?"

"We will keep him for…entertainment," said Aveil. "We have not seen a Sheikah in years…and many of the girls are anxious to see him."

Sheik knew exactly what she meant and shuddered at the thought. Link seemed to get the general idea as well, and his look told Sheik all he needed.

"And…if I refuse to fight?" he asked.

"Then we will do the same that would have happened if you lost," said Aveil sadly. "I am sorry, Sheikah, Hero, but this is the best I can do for you. If you prove yourself in the fight, the rest of the tribe will not question my judgement. I will let you discu—"

"No need," said Sheik. "I'll fight."

"Excellent," smiled Aveil and clapped her hands again. "I will make the arrangements, it won't take long. Someone will down for you soon. Do you require a potion?" To Sheik's shaking head, she nodded and strode out. Before disappearing beyond the edge, she turned to look at the two. "I'm truly sorry about this." Then she was gone.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Link asked immediately. "You heard what they were going to do to you if you lost!"

Sheik fixed him with a penetrating gaze. _Is he truly that stupid? Can he not see that we have no choice? If I win, we will go free, but if I refuse, we will lose anyway…_ "Did you not hear her? I have to, or all will be lost."

"What if it's a trick?"

"The Gerudo are honourable, Hero. Vicious, but honourable. They do not use petty tricks. If anything, you should be relieved there is dissent among the ranks. Also, Hero, you should be more worried about what will happen to yourself rather than me. If Ganondorf gets to you…"

"I still don't like it," Link said, pouting. "I don't want to see you hurt…"

"Nor I you," replied Sheik. "But this is our only chance. If I win, we not only win our freedom, but we also gain valuable allies against the Evil King."

"If you say so…" Link said.

The sun stung in his eyes as he and Link were led to the training grounds, where it seemed at least half of the Gerudo population had gathered. The Fortress was much bigger than it seemed, the entire mountain it rested against having been carved out to house the clan. Old, young, middle-aged…women of all ages had come to see the fight.

They cheered when Sheik entered the fenced circle in the middle of the grounds. It was quite large, obviously being a major proving ground. He fixed Kazuya's sheath to his back, glad that they recovered his sword. If he lost it, he didn't know what he'd do. Link kept giving him worrying looks that he tried to ignore. He needed to concentrate.

He was suddenly spun around and found his lips claimed by the Hero of Time, feeling the love and passion that was poured into it. The crowd cheered even louder.

_Perverts,_ Sheik thought, closing his eyes and leaning into Link's chest. When they broke it, Link smiled at him, stroking his cheek lightly.

"Be careful," he whispered, barely audible in the roaring noise from the crowd. "And good luck. I know you'll win." He then walked out of the circle, stopping just outside to watch.

"Thank you," Sheik said to himself and drew Kazuya, swinging it experimentally around, trying to get a feel for it.

Aveil suddenly stepped into the circle, much to the crowd's delight, raising her hands to quiet them. "Ladies, ladies, please," she shouted. When the roar had died down, she smiled. "This is a great moment. We have a Sheikah in our midst, and he will challenge our strongest warrior!" The crowd cheered. "If he wins, he and his partner will have earned their place amongst us as honorary rookie thieves!"

"Now," she continued. "Will our strongest warrior please step forward? Come, Ayla!"

Ayla emerged from the crowd, slowly walking into the circle. She was young, not much older than the Hero, Sheik assumed. She was quite beautiful, having a regal face, and her eyes seemed much more brilliant than the other Gerudo's. She wore clothes similar to Aveil's, although a bit less revealing. Two scimitars were slung on her back, one of which she stuck in the ground.

"This will be a fair fight," reminded Aveil. "One sword per fighter. You may draw blood, but you will _not_ kill each other, understood." Both Ayla and Sheik nodded. "Good. Then I wish you both luck, please do your best." She stepped out of the circle, holding an arm up. "Ready? Begin!"

The two fighters immediately dropped into fighting stances, circling each other. Sheik tried to read her body language, looking for any revealing twitches or sudden movements, but this girl was a master in concealing them. She smirked, like the two warriors he had fought the night before, revealing pearly white teeth.

The crowd continued to cheer, many calling Ayla's victory. Sheik clenched his jaw, vowing not to lose to this girl.

Eventually, he was forced to make the first move. Quickly, he stepped forward and swung Kazuya toward Ayla's stomach, a blow which the Gerudo easily dodged. She answered with an overhead swing. Sheik spun out of the way, using the momentum to aim a kick at Ayla's knee. This too she dodged.

"Is that the best you can do?" she asked mockingly.

"I haven't even started yet," said Sheik and attacked, going through a combo Impa had taught him that usually disarmed the enemy. Ayla knew exactly how to counter it, though, and the fighters found themselves in a lock, much like the one Sheik had been in the night before. He tried to use the same move, using his head as a battering ram, but Ayla stepped back suddenly, causing Sheik to lose his balance and fall to the ground. The crowd laughed and cheered.

"I saw you use that move yesterday," she said, once again circling the Sheikah as he picked himself up. "Simple tricks like that will not work on me, Sheikah." Her tone was surprisingly jolly, as if she wasn't in a fight at all.

"Try this one, then!" yelled Sheik and launched another attack, attaining the same speed he had used against the Stalfos in the Shadow Temple. Infuriatingly, Ayla blocked every blow, sidestepped every punch and kick. He overbalanced at the end of the flurry, and he felt the stinging pain as Ayla's scimitar neatly sliced the side of his thigh.

"And we have first blood!" shouted Aveil, to the crowd's exuberance.

Now Ayla was the one who attacked. She tried to use the spinning swing her comrade had used against Sheik, but without the two scimitars knocking into Kazuya simultaneously, he was able to hold on to it. His arm still lost a bit of feeling, however, and he knew he was in for the most difficult fight of his life.

The opponents seemed to be equally skilled. After a couple of minutes, Sheik too had been able to cut Ayla, cutting into her left bicep.

Neither of them was able to damage the other enough, though, and as the fight stretched on, blood drops were splashing in the sandy ring, Sheik and Ayla covered in minor wounds.

The two stepped back from each other, surveying. They were both getting exhausted, both from the heat and the intensity at which they attacked each other. Sheik could no longer feel his right arm, and he tasted blood in his mouth. His knees were shaking, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. Ayla wasn't much better off, he saw.

_Now or never,_ he thought as he launched his final attack, running toward Ayla, Kazuya drawn to he left, aiming for her side. Ayla smiled triumphantly as she moved to block, but Sheik's plan did not include a blow to the left. When he was two steps away from the Gerudo, he used every last bit of strength he had left to suddenly twist the right, slamming Kazuya's hilt to Ayla's temple.

Ayla hit the ground, out cold. The crowd fell completely silent. Aveil stepped back into the ring, making sure Ayla was okay. She smiled and bowed to Sheik. "Congratulations, Sheikah," she said and turned to the crowd. "We have a winner!"

The crowd went wild.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 15**

For a second, Sheik merely stood there, staring at the fallen Ayla. He hadn't expected her to fall for such a trick, especially not when Sheik had moved so sluggishly.

He hadn't heard Aveil proclaiming him as the winner, neither the crowd roaring with delight at the fight that had just taken place. It wasn't until Link enveloped him in a crushing embrace that he reacted, his numb fingers losing their hold of Kazuya, which hit the sand with a dull thump.

"You did it!" Link all but screamed in his ear. "You won!"

"…yeah," said Sheik, feeling like he had just been run over by a wagon. He looked at his thigh. The cut was shallower than it seemed, he knew, but the sight of the blood welling up in the wound made him somewhat nauseous.

A hand slapped him on the shoulder, and Aveil's grinning face came into view. "Awesome!" she shouted and slapped his shoulder again. "I've never seen anyone be able to stand up to Ayla for more than five minutes, let alone knock her out!"

"Never doubted you for a moment," said Link and kissed Sheik on the cheek, making the younger blush.

"Neither did I," said Sheik…and promptly passed out.

He was lying in a bed, a welcome change to the way he had woken up last. Sheik groaned, feeling the slight sting of his now closed wounds. The potion had been effective, although his wounds were rather minor compared to…other injuries. He groaned again, horrifying himself with his lack of self-control.

"You're rather talkative, aren't you?" asked Link's amused voice somewhere to his right.

Sheik didn't want to open his eyes, and settled for waving his now prickling arm. It was still slightly asleep, it seemed. "I'm tired, Hero," he grumbled and tried to turn away, but Link stopped him with his hand.

"Can't go back to sleep just yet, Sheik," the Hero said. Sheik didn't even need to see the smile on the Hylian's face, he could _hear_ it. "We've a celebration to go to."

"S'cuse me?" asked Sheik, struggling to lift his eyelids, which felt heavier than lead. "What celebration?"

"Our celebration, of course!"

"I'm afraid I am not following you," said Sheik, finally able to open one eye fully. The other followed suit soon after. "What have we done that warrants a celebration?"

"Well," said Link and chuckled. "We, two boys, have managed to become honorary members of what is normally a completely female organisation, which I think is quite hard to do."

_Fair enough,_ thought Sheik.

"And," Link continued. "You have defeated the organisation's strongest warrior, an event that is rarely seen in these parts."

_Alright._

"And finally, they wish to honour yours and their ancestors by signing a pact."

_What the…a pact?_ Sheik slowly sat up, helped by the hero. "What kind of pact?"

"A loyalty pact, I think," said Link, struggling to remember the specifics. "It was…there was something about Gerudo and Sheikah never fighting each other ever again."

_An honourable deal, certainly…although it is quite a few decades late to be of any help,_ Sheik thought. "One enemy less for me, then," he said, noticing that his neck had been covered with a bandage. They must have noticed that the Shadow's mark did not disappear when they gave him the healing potion. Link hadn't noticed, or he chose not to remark on it. "But we still need them to sign a treaty with Hyrule, not just the Sheikah. We will need their help if we are to win the war."

"One thing at a time, Sheik," Link said and helped him stand. Sheik's legs were still wobbly, and he had to hold on to the Hero without falling over. "Careful," Link said. "You exhausted yourself."

_So that is what it takes to make me weak? A little fighting in the sun? Granted, I did _not_ have a good night's sleep considering I was knocked out and imprisoned, but still…_

"'ave to appear strong," mumbled Sheik into Link's tunic.

"Pardon?" said Link, smiling. He liked it when Sheik needed him to do something as simple as stand. It showed his human side, he thought.

"I said I have to appear strong," said Sheik and pushed away, almost falling. He regained his balance and planted his feet firmly on the stone floor. "I represent the Sheikah, and I cannot appear a weakling in front of the Gerudo."

"You just knocked their best warrior out, Sheik. I don't think they need more of a proof that you're strong than that."

"Perhaps not, Hero, but I still like to appear dignified since I represent the princess. I must make a strong case if they are to accept a treaty. There is bad blood between Hyrule and them."

"Alright, alright, I get it," said Link and raised his arms in defeat. "Just don't come crying to me when you fall down the stairs or something…"

"If I do such a thing, I'll be trying my hardest to break my neck."

The door slammed open (something that apparently happened frequently in the fortress), revealing a smiling Aveil dressed in an even more—if possible—exotic outfit that clearly showed her figure. She didn't move from the doorway, but struck a pose that was clearly meant to be seductive. When neither Link nor Sheik did nothing but stare confused at her, she clicked her tongue and sighed.

"I knew it," she said and came in.

"Knew what?" asked Link, raising an eyebrow.

_He stole that from me!_ yelled Sheik in his mind. He blinked, wondering where that outburst had come from.

"That neither of you have any interest in beautiful women," she answered. "Had it been any other Hylian men, you both would have been quite tight in your pants by now." She sat down on the bed that Sheik had been resting in. "The girls are going to be so disappointed."

None of the teens answered, settling for a dual attack of raised eyebrows.

"But, at least they get to see an adorable couple," Aveil said and clapped her hands together, which was seemingly a signature gesture of hers. "Now, there will be a feast to celebrate your victory in an hour. I have arranged for you two to have baths because—"she sniffed and wrinkled her nose—"you both stink. And some…nice clothes have been laid out for you. You can keep them if you like."

"Thanks, Aveil," said Link. "Is there…anything we should know about?" he asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…strange traditions…you know…like, kissing the hosts and such." The Hero was blushing as he said this.

Aveil giggled and shook her head. "No, no, nothing like that. At worst, some of the girls will grope you, but it's all in good fun."

"Oh thank Farore," said Link and sighed, much to Aveil's amusement.

"The girls are going to be _really_ disappointed," she repeated and went to the door. "The bath is through the door at the left end of the hallway," she said and pointed. "I will come fetch you when we are ready to begin the celebration."

"How did she know we were a couple?" asked Link when she had gone.

"Well, you did kiss me in front of the crowds twice," said Sheik. He was thankful for the promise of a bath. He could feel the dirt and sand encrusted on his skin, and his hair was a greasy mess, a result of the heat and sand.

"Yeah, but I thought that was normal," said Link innocently. "The Kokiri did it all the time to show each other affection."

_Yes, but the Kokiri are children…old as time itself, perhaps, but still children. And so are you…but you will see the ugly face of prejudice from your own kind soon enough, Link._

"Well, just don't expect to see Hylians doing that, Link," said Sheik, looking at the Hero with a sad expression. "There are many who…don't approve of relationships such as ours."

"Well, too bad for them," said Link and hugged Sheik. "'cause I'm never going to stop loving you."

_Love…does he even understand the meaning of the word?_

"That's a bold statement with our relationship barely two days old," said Sheik and smiled, kissing the Hero. When they broke apart, Link sniffed and mimicked Aveil's expression.

"She was right, you know," he said. "We do stink."

"…and you just deflated any trace of romance in this room, Hero."

It felt like heaven when he slid down into the heated water. The bathroom was huge, he thought. There were about thirty to forty tubs lined in rows, each filled with heated spring water. The Gerudo were clever, having dug channels underneath the lake hidden deep inside the mountain that led the water throughout the entire fortress, providing the thieves with water for all needs.

Salts, oils and soaps of many kinds lined the wall, reminding Sheik that the Gerudo race consisted mainly of women who, even though they were fierce warriors, still cared much about their appearance and…dared he think it? Odour.

"This is great!" exclaimed Link from the other side of the room, having just sunk into his own tub. "It felt like I hadn't bathed in weeks!"

"Mhm," agreed Sheik, relishing the feel of the warm water. Steam filled the room, preventing either of them from seeing the other undressing, although this had probably been a blessing in the long run. Link was nowhere near ready to…explore the less innocent side of their relationship, and Sheik just didn't feel…comfortable enough yet. He knew that if something of that nature was going to happen, it would be a long way off. But it didn't matter; just knowing that Link loved him and kissed him was enough for now.

_But does he truly know what love means? Maybe he is mistaking a crush…or just a deep friendship?_

Sheik shook his head, abandoning the thoughts. They were depressive. Instead, he focused on cleaning the filth from his body, scrubbing the sand-darkened skin. He noticed the water taking on a less than inviting colour, but noticed that it soon disappeared only to be replaced by sparkling clear liquid again.

_They're bloody geniuses!_

Of all things, the thing he enjoyed most in the bath was the ability to wash his hair. Sheik loved his hair. It seemed odd, he supposed, to those who did not know him, but when it came to the long strands of blond, sun-bleached hair, he didn't care. When he saw the sheer amount of filth that had infested it, he grimaced. He was glad there hadn't been any mirrors in either of the rooms they had been in since they had been brought to the fortress. And Link had seen him like that!

It was a more happy Sheik that emerged from the bath and went to dry himself with the towels that had been lain out for them. Link had already gone, quicker to complete his bath.

_That's the drawback about my hair,_ he mused as he started to dry it. _It takes quite some time to wash…and even longer to dry._

The Hero had chuckled slightly when he had left the room, though, which Sheik took as a bad sign. His suspicion was confirmed when he found the…"clothes" Aveil had laid out.

_This has got to be a joke!_

They had given him…a skirt! A bloody skirt! Well, it wasn't a skirt, but the Gerudo equivalent, at least. It was the same kind of pants that Aveil had wore, which left little to the imagination for anyone who saw him. He blushed when he imagined what he looked like…and even more blood streamed to his face when the steam lifted slightly to reveal a mirror that ran the entire length of the wall to his right. The bloody pants didn't even reach his knees, and were tight.

At least the shirt was a bit more conservative. It was made of silk and had been dyed to a dark blue, a colour often favoured by the Sheikah. It was sleeveless, which Sheik guessed was to reveal his muscles…if he only had any. He wasn't weak by a long shot, but his muscles were mostly compact. Strangely enough, it had light blue triangles on it, barely visible against the surrounding fabric. In the middle of his chest, a triforce mark had been formed.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and blushed again. The Gerudo had clearly gotten an idea of which of the two partners was the dominant one. His theory was confirmed when he returned to their room. Link stared at him, his face growing red quickly. The Hero had been given a finely decorated shirt (with intact sleeves, to Sheik's annoyance) of the same colour as Sheik's, but his pants were…puffed up, it seemed. At least they covered his legs all the way down to his feet, which were clad in strange shoes with pointy tips. All in all, the Hero looked like a prince, his shirt covered in hourglasses and triforces, while Sheik looked like…he dreaded to think it, a concubine.

"Are you done staring, Hero?" asked Sheik, face burning.

"Huh?" asked Link, still staring at the short pants.

A slap later and Link was profusely trying to apologise to Sheik.

"I can't help it," he said desperately. "You just look so…"

"What?" asked Sheik.

_If the next word out of your mouth is sexy, or hot or whatever Hylian slang you picked up during your trips to Castle Town, you had better hope you're skinny enough to climb out that window…_

"…beautiful," Link said.

The annoyance faded, and Sheik surrendered. If Link thought he looked okay, then he guessed it was fine… He realised five seconds later just how much influence the Hero of Time held over him now.

"Thank you," Sheik mumbled and sat on his bed. He hadn't noticed that there were two beds in the room until now, and their weapons and equipment sat in a corner, the Gerudo trusting them enough to give them back.

Link sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, Sheik resting his head against the Hero's. Silence descended upon them, which they enjoyed. Silence could say so much more than a thousand words. Link idly played with Sheik's hair, his smile growing wider and wider every time Sheik tried to bat his fingers away.

"Can I braid your hair?" Link asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Why?"

"Well, it's kind of a formal occasion, isn't it? Got to have you looking your best."

"…do you even know how?"

The Hero grinned. "Saria and the other girls taught me when we played."

…_blasted Kokiri…_

Aveil had suffered a minor breakdown when she had first seen the pair. Link was the handsomest man she had ever seen, she had said, while Sheik was cute enough to pass for a girl.

The Sheikah had huffed and shook his head at the statement, forgetting that his braided hair could now be utilised as an improvised club and had slammed the lower part of it in Link's face, something Aveil hadn't been able to stop laughing at as they made their way to the grand hall where the celebration would be held.

"You look adorable," she kept saying when she looked back to ensure they were still following her.

_Last time I trust a Gerudo,_ Sheik thought, wishing that his pants could just stretch a bit further to cover his exposed legs. For several years now he had been hiding his appearance with exoskeletons, tabards, robes and masks, but now he was barely wearing anything! Yet, if he didn't wear the clothes, the Gerudo might be offended and rethink their decision not to send Link to Ganondorf…

"It's true," whispered Link, earning the Hero an elbow to his stomach, which he easily blocked.

"I never asked for either of your opinions," muttered Sheik.

The ambient noise of a room full of laughing and talking women grew louder and louder until they stopped outside the doorway that was all that stood between them and the grand hall.

"Now," said Aveil and turned around to face them. "Traditionally, rookies—yes, that means you—are seated furthest away from the throne, but since you're guests of honour, you're entitled to a place at the king's table—don't worry, he's not here—and dine with me. Nabooru would have joined us, but the dove I sent has not returned, so I will sit at the head of the table. You two will sit at my left. Understood?" At their nods, she smiled and turned around, gripping the massive door handles, preparing to push the doors open. "Remember, big smiles. This is _your_ party!"

The grand hall fell silent as Aveil entered, signalling for Sheik and Link to follow a few steps behind her.

"Ladies," Aveil said loudly. "I give you the newest members of our tribe, Link and his lover, Sheik!" The gathered thieves roared with approval.

_I don't even get a mention of my name without having to be his 'lover'? Some respect for the Sheikah they have…_

As they followed Aveil to the end of the room, where a massive, wooden throne stood on a raised dais, Sheik could feel every eye in the room on him and Link…but mostly on himself. He became self-conscious and looked at his feet, once again wishing that his pants were longer. Any shorter, and they might as well have qualified as sexy underwear.

_At least the table offers me some decency,_ he thought as they sat at the shorter table close to the throne. Able to look up now, he got a good look at the room. Massive windows would have lit the room with sunlight, but it had become evening by the time Sheik had woken up. Making up for the lost lighting were massive torches lining the stone walls, giving the grand hall a murky appearance, if it could be describes as that. It was…cosy, if Sheik had to describe it in one word.

The celebrating Gerudo were seated at long, low tables that stretched from one end of the room to the other. They did not sit on chairs, but tall and firm pillows. They were all wearing the same type of outfit Aveil wore, albeit less…leader-like. A shorter table stood on the dais in front of the throne, and Sheik and the others sat with their backs to it, facing the rest of the tables.

Link sat closest to Aveil with Sheik at his side. Several high-ranking Gerudo also sat at their table, although it was obvious that the best seats were at Aveil's left. The Gerudo next to Sheik—a captain or something, he didn't know—kept giving him sultry glances, which he did his best to ignore. He knew the way the Gerudo treated men that were not their king.

Out of nowhere, a small army of Gerudo carrying trays and jugs appeared, filling the celebrants' cups with wine and plates with food, the kind of which none of the two partners had even dreamed of. There was meat, fruit and goddesses knew what.

Then a group of musicians started to play softly in the background, their strange, stringed instruments creating a melody that could only be described as Gerudo-ish. It was fast, had a steady rhythm and made Sheik want to bob his head to it.

Both partners lost track of how much time passed and how much they ate. Link finished several cups of wine and didn't seem affected whatsoever by the alcoholic drink. Sheik had politely thanked no to the wine, preferring water. He never drank alcohol, not only because he had seen the effect it had on those who drank too much, but also because Impa had forbidden him to drink while on duty…which, in these dark times, were pretty much all the time. He did take a sip from time to time, though, whenever Aveil decided to toast.

As the time passed, the Gerudo clearly had the time of their lives. Link too; it seemed by the way he was talking animatedly with Aveil and the woman next to her. Sheik had talked a bit with the Gerudo to his left, but she had not been much of a talker…and she had kept touching him until he told her to stop, to which she had only giggled and started talking to her neighbour, sometimes looking back at him and giggling.

He was just finishing the last scraps of food on his plate when a shadow fell over him. He looked up and met the gaze of Ayla. She had a bruise where he had slammed his sword into her temple, and he could see the marks of the injuries he had caused her. To his surprise, she was smiling at him.

"Sheikah," she said.

The noise in the room lowered as the rest of the women saw who had approached the rookies.

"Our battle today was…the most satisfying experience I've ever had," she said loudly enough for the room to hear. "I am honoured to have lost to such a skilled opponent." She held out a hand, which Sheik happily shook. Then she leaned closer, whispering: "Although it was a dirty trick you pulled at the end." With that, she swaggered back to her place at one of the tables, disappearing in the sea of red hair.

The volume of the celebrants then assumed normal levels, and Sheik felt…relieved. Had she been bitter, he surely would have had to watch out for any retaliation.

The idle chat between the celebrants continued for a while, when Aveil suddenly stood up, holding up her arms to make the rest of the thieves quiet down.

"Ladies, today, we have seen an honourable fight in which both Gerudo and Sheikah proved themselves. In the past, our two peoples have clashed in battles, waged over little else than foolish pride and hubris. But I say there must come a time when our differences can be put aside, and I say that time is now!"

The Gerudo cheered.

"As of this moment, I declare that the Gerudo shall never again lift their blades against the Sheikah, and I sincerely hope that our newest rookie will accept our offer." She looked expectantly at Sheik, who stood, wishing Link never had kissed him in front of the thieves. If he hadn't, then he surely would have been wearing something similar to the Hero.

He cleared his throat. "As one of the three surviving Sheikah," he said, trying to keep the quiver out of his voice. He hated speaking in front of people, and the fact that there had to be at least eight hundred people in the room made it worse. "I accept the offer, and I sincerely hope that the honourable Gerudo will accept the same from the Sheikah."

A silver goblet was suddenly thrust in front of him by a blushing serving girl. He took it and saw that Aveil had an identical one in her hand.

_Ah, a symbolic toast,_ he thought. He could have one glass, couldn't he?

They both raised their goblets to each other.

"To peace," Aveil said.

"To peace," Sheik said.

And then they drank, and the room erupted once more into loud cheers and roars, cups banging together as the Gerudo drank in honour of the new pact. Link too, raised his goblet, looking at Sheik with beaming eyes. In the matter of two toasts, the entire silver goblet was empty, and Sheik was smiling.

As the night wore on, he started to feel tired, and warm. A haze seemed to settle itself over his eyes, and everything seemed to blur.

_Am I drunk?_ He wondered. _I have never had wine before…they say the more alcohol you drink, the more resistant you get to it…and if you've never had any, you'll quickly be overcome by it…I should…I should…_

Realising that he was now drunk, Sheik laid a hand on Link's shoulder, drawing the Hero's attention.

"What is it?" asked Link.

"I…want to go to bed…Link," answered Sheik, feeling his tongue trying to tie itself into knots.

"You tired?" asked Link. At Sheik's nod, he smiled. "I'm kind of tired too…we've been here for hours."

"You wish to retire?" asked Aveil, having overheard the conversation. "No problem. Do you want an escort?"

"Nah, we're good, I think," said Link, helping Sheik to his feet.

_Lucky bastard,_ Sheik thought as Link led him out of the grand hall, his vision swimming. It was so warm, he could feel himself sweating. _Why the hell aren't you drunk? Did the goddesses give you immunity or something?_Realising what he was thinking, he shook his head.

They were in the maze of corridors now, but Link seemed to know the way.

Then, something seemed to click on in Sheik's head, and he stood up straight, making Link stop. He then looked at the Hero. Warmth overcame him, and he felt dizzy. But above all else he felt, there was one thing he desperately needed.

Link.

"Sheik? Something wrong?" asked Link, his face concerned. He tried to shake his partner to life, but he kept staring at him.

"I…want…" began Sheik and trailed off, mumbling the last word.

"You want what? Answer me."

"I…want…_you_…Link," Sheik said, his voice low. Link was all he cared about, all he could possibly want. The Hero looked so damnable attractive in his attire, but an urge to just rip the silk apart and start licking him all over…

_What…what am I thinking? I…can't control myself._

"Sheik, are you all right?" asked Link, feeling Sheik's forehead. "Geez, you're burning up. I'll get the doctor here and—"

"No!" interrupted Sheik. "I don't need a doctor…all I need is you…and I want you…inside me."

Link blushed, realising what Sheik was talking about. Then he seemed to make a connection. "Are you drunk?"

"Possibly," said Sheik and giggled.

Link sighed and shook his head. Then he seized Sheik's hand and dragged him along the corridors, quickly arriving at their room. He carefully guided Sheik to his bed and went to close and lock the door. When he turned around, Sheik was shirtless.

"I want you, Link," Sheik repeated, his hand starting to fumble with the string that held up his pants. "Mind…body…and soul…" The pants dropped, revealing Sheik to Link.

When Link didn't react, Sheik walked over to him, nuzzling his cheek. That seemed to wake the Hero up, and Link gently pushed Sheik away. The Sheikah whined at the loss of contact and tried to close the distance, but found himself pushed away yet again.

"I can't do this, Sheik," Link said. "I mean…I want to…but you're not in the right state of mind."

"I've never been in a more right state of mind, Hero," Sheik cooed and captured Link's lips with his own. He smirked when he felt the Hero respond, both up there and down there. "And it seems your body disagrees."

"Even so," said Link and extracted himself from Sheik. "It wouldn't feel right, Sheik. Please…just go to bed."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Don't make me do this," Link said, raising a palm.

Sheik looked at the palm and smirked, moving in for another kiss. "Make you do wha—"

He never finished the sentence. Link had slammed his palm into Sheik's neck, hitting a pressure spot that made the Sheikah faint. Link caught the slumping, naked body and carried him gently to bed. He pulled the covers over Sheik, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry, but I had to," he said and bent down, kissing Sheik on the forehead. "Some day, we will…but not today." With that done, he blew out the torches, undressed and went to bed, sighing. "If a goblet of wine does that to you, I'd hate to see what happens if you drink Talon's stuff…"

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 16**

Hundreds upon hundreds of hours of training, mental tempering and pure agony had he endured in order to become who he was. Training since he was old enough to walk, learning to kill when he was barely ten. All of this, years of preparation, did not shield him against the pain that assaulted his senses the second he opened his eyes. He was accosted by the light shining through the window, blinding him and making the pain in his head flare up. Groaning, he hid under the covers, hoping to the Goddesses that a wall of clouds was rising up. No such luck, though. He also noticed something else. He was naked. Quite naked. Then, everything came rushing back. The conversation in the corridors, the…confession in the room and the undressing. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and tried to slide further under the covers.

_It didn't even…I didn't feel in control. Was I really _that_ drunk? I only had _one_ glass…_

Any further musings were interrupted by the door slamming open, causing lights to dance across Sheik's vision. He knew that he should have been ready to slice the intruder's throat open by now, but there were certain…issues that he could not ignore at the moment. He peeked out from the covers and saw the Hero—back in his tunic, he noticed—who seemed to be fuming. He noticed the hiding Sheikah and softened his expression.

"Hey, you're up," he stated.

"Mmm," replied Sheik, surprised at how dry his mouth was. He cleared his throat. "I mean, yes." He winced at his voice. It was raw and gravelly. Why, he couldn't figure out. Realising the awkward silence that had enveloped them, he cleared his throat again. "Listen, about last night—"

"It's okay," said Link and sat on his bed, facing Sheik. "I know it wasn't your fault."

"But I really shouldn't have been _that_ affected by a little wine, and—"

"That's because it wasn't wine," interrupted Link and stood up, walking over to the window and closing the curtains, much to Sheik's relief. Then the Sheikah picked up on what the Hero had said.

"It wasn't?" He slowly emerged from the mound of covers and looked questioningly at the Hero of Time.

"Nope," said Link. "Or, it _was_ wine, but there was something else in there too."

_They…poisoned me?_ He voiced the question, to which the Hero shook his head and waved his hands alarmingly.

"No, no, no, nothing like that," he said.

"Then please explain," Sheik said dryly, his gaze sweeping across the room, trying to locate any articles of clothing he could wear. He briefly rested his eyes on the…costume from last night, blushed, and kept on going.

"Well…" said the Hero and blushed, making Sheik groan again. He just _knew_ this was not going to be good. "It was…an afro…aph…ro…"

"Aphrodisiac?" asked Sheik.

Link perked up and smiled. "Yeah!"

"…do you even know what that word means?"

The Hero's expression told it all, and Sheik explained it to him, with much embarrassment. Truly, it was like talking to a child…which, Sheik remembered, he was.

Eyes wide, Link began to cough a cough so fake it was almost painful to listen to. "Are you serious? Why would they—ah….now I understand what she meant by 'slow relationship'…"

"She?"

"It was all Aveil's idea," Link admitted and went over to a sack by the door. "She said we needed a good romp, whatever that is." The Sheikah opted not to explain. "And she said she knew you weren't going to take the initiative voluntarily, so she dumped that afro-thingy in your drink." He apparently found what he was looking in the sack and pulled something out. It shimmered blue. He threw the bundle over to the Sheik, who realised the bundle was his clothes all packed tightly together. He slowly started to pull them on under the covers.

"Frankly, our relationship is none of her business," the Sheikah said, huffing in annoyance when he encountered difficulties with the exoskeleton's legs. "_And_ she tainted our celebratory toast."

"Maybe she'll do it again," suggested Link. "Not the afro, but the toast," he added when he saw the glare from Sheik's eyes.

"Perhaps," said Sheik and threw the covers away, regretting the movement as his head stung. "Though I would be sceptical to drink anything given to me by the Gerudo considering last night." He pulled the tabard over his head. "I'm not even very interested in speaking to her again."

"Oh, come on, Sheik," said Link in a whiny tone. "It's not like she meant any harm."

_That's easy for you to say, Hero,_ Sheik thought. _You didn't embarrass your entire heritage last night by begging to be…_ He couldn't even finish the thought. He looked at the wrappings of his turban, decided not to wear it and stood up, swaying slightly. Link immediately went to his feet and put a hand on Sheik's shoulder.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah," said Sheik, pushing the hand away, briefly noting the hurt expression on the Hero's face. "I've got a headache the size of the moon, Hero, I'm sorry."

"It's Link," said the Hero and smiled.

It was clear that most of the Gerudo knew about Aveil's plan judging by the expressions and leery smiles they sent the couple as they walked to the Grand Hall. Sheik burned with embarrassment and decided to pull up his cowl, to which Link whined with disappointment. Sheik ignored it. He knew Link meant good, but right now, he had a Gerudo woman to reprimand.

They found Aveil sitting next to the throne, her expression worried. She regarded Sheik with unbridled remorse and stood up. Walking down the stone steps, she beat the Sheikah to the punch.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the aphrodisiac," she said. "I just…thought you needed a boost."

Sheik looked at her for a second and turned to Link. "I want to speak with her privately," he said. Link, noting the no-nonsense tone in his voice, nodded and exited the hall, leaving the second-in-command of the Gerudo and the Sheikah alone. "Now…" Sheik said and sat down on one of the large pillows the women had used for chairs. "Please explain _why_ you thought it proper to poison my drink with the aforementioned chemical."

Aveil sat next to him, thinking about what to say, it seemed. "Because…I could see the way you were looking at him…"

"Excuse me?"

"You want him," she replied. "Not just in the way you are now…but…completely."

_No I don't…_he tried to convince himself, but the other part of him disagreed. _Yes, you do. You want him so much it hurts to even think about it. But I can't…he's too young. He's older than you! Only physically…mentally, he is still a child._

"Be that as it may, you still had no right to do such a thing…and I am beginning to have regrets about our pact." Sheik narrowed his eyes. "I don't think the toast last night was even valid since you had ulterior motives."

"But, I—"

"No, you listen to me!" Sheik shouted, ignoring the headache that so elegantly had decided to flare up yet again. "I couldn't care less about what you do to me, but the fact remains you made me force myself upon a child!"

"A child?" asked Aveil. "But he's—"

"Only in appearance," said Sheik and sank down in his seat. "He entered the temple of time seven years ago; his mind was sealed away while his body matured. That Hero…is nothing more than an eleven-year-old boy in an eighteen-year-old's body. He doesn't know about these things because he never had a chance to…"

Aveil had covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. That alone was enough to convince Sheik that whatever she said next would be thruthful. "I…I didn't know…I…I thought he was…"

"The Hero of Time," Sheik continued. "Is nothing but a child forced to grow up quickly, given no time to process anything he experienced when he found the Spiritual Gems. He has seen horrors no child that age should see…" Once again, the unfairness of the world made Sheik want to scream. "The last thing he needs is someone to violate him."

Aveil was crying, crystalline tears making their way down her cheeks. "I…thought the Hero of Time was a normal man…someone who didn't bat an eyelash at anything…but…now I…oh, I'm so, so sorry, Sheik."

His anger had faded long before. Sheik nodded. "Now you know," he said. "You are forgiven."

She smiled through the tears and wiped the salty liquid away. "You were right, you know."

"About?"

"About the toast. I doubt it was valid too, so I guess we have to do it again."

"No wine," Sheik said sharply, fixing her with a penetrating gaze.

The Gerudo grinned. "Of course not," she said and clapped her hands. Out of nowhere, a servant girl appeared with two regular, wooden goblets filled with water. She took them both and handed one to Sheik. "I suppose there is no use in repeating the vows, since we both heard them yesterday."

"The vows remain, the execution was flawed," said Sheik and raised his goblet. "To peace."

"To peace."

"I was wondering where you had gotten off to," said Sheik when he saw the familiar outline sitting in the window. Kaiza shrieked and perched herself upon his shoulder. He stroked her back. "You little coward," he said affectionately.

"So…" said Link and trailed off.

"So what?" asked Sheik, staring out the window. The headache was fading, though the stinging rays of the sun was revitalising it a little. He didn't care. He felt…oddly elated.

"What happened between you and Aveil?" asked the Hero. "You didn't say anything after you came out of the hall."

"Oh, we made up, set things straight, and so on…" said Sheik. He was watching the large gates to the east. Beyond that gate lay the desert, the wasteland which they had to cross. The wind was picking up, it seemed, for large clouds of sand were making their way across the dunes behind the gate.

"That's good," said Link and wrapped his arms around Sheik, careful to avoid the falcon, which was giving him a warning look.

"Mhm."

"What next?" asked Link.

"The desert," replied Sheik.

"Any idea of how we're going to cross it?"

"Not yet, but it seems the Gerudo have set up some posts to follow. I'm more worried about that wind. Sand storms are nasty."

Without warning, Kaiza took off, disappearing out the window.

"What's with her?" asked Link.

"The princess has probably called her," Sheik answered. "I am not the only one she keeps in contact with, you know."

"Hm…" said Link and went to his bed, laying down. He sighed.

"What's wrong?" asked Sheik.

"Nothing," said the Hero.

"Link…you never act this way unless something is bothering you. Tell me." The Sheikah remained where he stood, wanting to give the Hero some space.

"It's just…I'm wondering if what you said last night…was it you or the afro-thingy that was speaking?"

_Oh, Goddesses…_ thought Sheik, remembering what he had said. He was glad he was wearing the cowl. "I believe…it was a mix," he said, hoping the answer would be satisfactory. "The aphrodisiac helped me…say what I truly wanted to say."

Link perked up. "So you really want to…?"

Knowing he was really crossing the line here, Sheik nodded. "Yes, Hero. I wish to…do that, but it would not be right."

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

Sheik sighed and took one of the Hero's calloused hands in his, his fingers roaming over the scars and rough skin. "You may look like an adult and act like an adult…but the fact remains that you are still a child at heart…the Hero of Time must be pure and good, and—"

"And you think that we doing it would somehow make me filthy and bad?" asked Link, looking at Sheik with a blank look.

"No, Link," said Sheik. "What I'm saying is that you must keep your focus on your quest. Goddesses know I have already distracted you enough as it is, and—"

"Distracted me?" asked Link. "You've saved my life dozens of times. Without you, there wouldn't have been any quest 'cause I would've been dead!"

The sentence came out so fast that Sheik had to take a few seconds to analyse what the Hero had said. "That may be, but the fact remains that I cannot afford to distract you with anything else. Perhaps, after all this, we can….'do it', as you so elegantly put it, but for now, we must—"

"Focus on the quest, I know…" said Link, clearly unhappy with the situation.

_That's it, be strong, put the mission first. You've already come dangerously close to ruin the quest as it is by getting this close to him,_ Sheik told himself.

"Can I ask you something else?" Link said suddenly.

"Of course," said Sheik, happy to put the awkward subject behind them.

"When you toasted…you said that you were one of three remaining Sheikah…I know you and Impa, but who's the third?"

"Ah…I did say that, didn't I?" said Sheik and wondered whether he should tell the truth or not. "Well…there _are_three Sheikah left…though only Impa and I follow our traditions…the third one…abandoned them years ago."

"Where are they now?" asked Link.

"I'm not sure…he moved away when I was young. From what Impa told me, I believe he is living in Termina, now."

"Termina?" asked Link.

"It's a country on the other side of the Lost Woods," Sheik explained. "It's quite different from Hyrule."

"I see…"

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 17**

"Surely it can wait for a while. Sandstorms can last for weeks, even months!" Aveil was looking between Sheik and Link, her eyes pleading. "It's dangerous to wander out into the desert at this time of year!"

"As much as we would like to stay," said Sheik, "the quest cannot be pushed back any further. We must go to the Colossus, and we must go immediately." He smiled gently at the dark-skinned woman.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Link chimed in. "But as long as Sheik's with me, we'll make it through!"

Aveil, thoroughly defeated, sighed and clapped her hands. Out of nowhere, two servants appeared—Sheik made a note to speak with these servants later if he had time, as they were clearly in possession of some kind of secret stealth technique—carrying rucksacks. Aveil took one of them and fished around inside, pulling out a long, brown cloak.

"This will protect you from the sand and heat," she said and tossed it to Link, who caught it and let out a surprised sound at the weight of the clothing. "It's so tightly spun not even the tiniest grains will get inside, and heat will neither get in nor escape. Very good to wear to keep warm during the night. It's what my warriors wear when they are out in the desert."

They accepted the rucksacks. "It is truly an honour to be given the same clothes the Gerudo wear," said Sheik and bowed deeply. "I thank you."

"No, I thank you, Sheik of the Sheikah, for giving me the opportunity to make up for my ancestors' mistakes. I only pray it is not too late," said Aveil, inclining her head and closing her golden eyes—the highest gesture of respect a Gerudo can give.

"It's never too late," replied Sheik. "I can only hope you feel the same about the Sheikah."

"As you say, it is never too late," said Aveil, smiling. "Anyway, I have arranged for someone to take you to the gate."

Almost right after she said it, a robed Gerudo came into the room. Her face was covered by the purple shawl-like fabric the thieves usually wore. Two wicked scimitars were slung across her back. She bowed to Aveil. "Shall I take them now?" Her voice was familiar.

Aveil nodded. "Yes, Ayla. I believe the rookies are quite anxious to get on with their quest." She turned to the pair. "Good luck. I truly believe that if anyone can right the horrible wrongs that have been done these last seven years, it is you two."

"Farewell, Aveil," said Sheik and bowed again. Link did the same, though he looked a bit awkward with his sword and shield weighing him down, making it difficult for him to straighten up again.

Ayla nodded wordlessly to them and headed for the door. Sheik and Link were just about to head through it when Aveil's voice stopped them.

"One more thing…" They turned around, and saw to their surprise that Aveil looked nervous. "When you get to the Desert Colossus…can you tell Nabooru that…I'm sorry?" She looked at them pleadingly. "Please tell her that…I was stupid, and I need her more than ever, now. Please tell her to come home."

"You can count on it," said Link and flashed her a grin, to which she smiled warmly and ran up to him and nearly crushed him in a hug.

"Thank you, thank you," she kept repeating silently into his ear.

After bidding her farewell for the second time, the pair followed Ayla, who had kept silent throughout the entire exchange.

"Who would've thought?" asked Link suddenly as they rounded a corner, approaching a shining doorway. "That Aveil was—"

"It's not exactly a big secret," said Ayla suddenly.

"It's not?" asked Link.

"No," confirmed Ayla. "Aveil and Nabooru have known each other since they were little, and there was always something more than just friendship between them. But when this war broke out, they started arguing more and more about proper actions and such…and Nabooru had finally had enough and left for the Spirit Temple, preferring to be alone for a while. She has been coming back every so often, but never spoke to Aveil."

"That's horrible," said Link quietly.

"They will probably get over it once everything settles down again," said Ayla as they emerged into the sunlight. It was still early in the morning, and the sun had yet to heat up the valley enough for it to be stifling hot. Even so, Link and Sheik took a moment to put on their robes, both surprised at the coolness the articles provided compared to regular clothing.

To say that the gate to the desert was large would be quite an understatement. The understatement of the century, to be exact. It was a massive portal made of cast-iron, decorated with lithe figures with large swords who stole what seemed to be camels and horses, surely a reference to the Gerudo's past. Although hidden behind an outcropping of rock, Link and Sheik could hear the beasts of burden that were required to open and shut the gate. Sheik sympathised with the animals, unable to imagine the wretched existence they suffered. But what he could do about it? Without sparking another war between the Gerudo and the Sheikah, of course. Starting a war with only two other people on your side, one of which had ascended to a higher state of being, no less, did not seem to be a good idea.

Ayla led them to a small gatehouse next to which another Gerudo was looking at the desert through the grates in the gate. At Ayla's cough, she turned around with an embarrassed grin.

"Heh, sorry about that," she said. "I was just looking at the storm. Looks nasty." She noticed Link and Sheik. "Oh, hey rookies."

"Rookies?" whispered Link to Sheik, who rolled his eyes.

"We're honorary members, remember? Aveil even gave us identification cards," he said.

"Oh, right."

"You're utterly clueless sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey, you're the brains, I'm the brawn."

"Says the salvation of Hyrule."

"Ahem," Ayla said. The pair looked embarrassed at being caught in a childish fight and concentrated on the conversation going on in front of them. "Anyway, as I said," continued Ayla. "The rookies want to enter the desert and head to the Colossus. Open the gate."

"You sure about that?" asked the gatekeeper, giving them a worried look. "I told you, the storm's looking really nasty, and at this time of year, they could go on for weeks."

"Don't worry about that," said Ayla before either of the teens could answer. "It's their choice. Now, open the gate, or will I have to call Aveil?"

"No, no, of course not," said the gatekeeper and waved her hands in alarm. She clapped her hands—which Sheik thought was a strange way to give orders. How did someone know what the clapping meant?—and a whip cracked behind the outcrop. The beasts on the other side grunted and started walking, making the gate slowly slide open, revealing the wasteland on the other side. Dunes that looked taller than mountains obscured the view, and a wall of sand was steadily growing higher and higher in the distance. A series of poles with red cloth tied around them disappeared among the dunes.

"Those are the ones you must follow," said Ayla. "They will take you to a couple of old abandoned forts before continuing to the Colossus. Do _not_ veer of the path, or you are certain to lose your way. Also, look out for the vengeful spirits of the fallen warriors who haunt the wastes."

"Gerudo?" asked Sheik, knowing that a battle had occurred between the shadows and the thieves in the desert many years ago.

"Gerudo _and_ Sheikah," replied Ayla. "Your ancestors weren't able to get _all_ their comrades home." They didn't have to see her face to realise the sadness with which she said it. Did she regret the feud between the shadow people and the thieves as well? She turned to them. "Well, I have done all I can. There is the desert, and you must cross it. Be careful, don't let down your guard and watch out for monsters."

They nodded and started to walk.

"Sheik-sama?"

The call made him stop. Not only because Ayla had used his name, but also attached a suffix in the ancient Sheikah language that were usually only applied to those who commanded great respect with the caller. He turned around and looked at her curiously. Ayla pulled down the cloth concealing her face and smiled at him.

"I would very much like to fight you again when you return. You are my rival, after all."

He nodded. "Of course. I would enjoy another fight with you, Ayla."

"Be safe," she said.

"Live dangerously," replied Sheik, barely remembering the old code of the Gerudo, which, in all fairness, was a bit of an oxymoron, but no one had drawn attention to this fact yet.

"You know," said Link between spitting out mouthfuls of sand. "Just for once, I'd like a temple to be easy to reach. Just a calm walk from A to B without a troublesome C rearing its ugly face between them!" He had to shout in order to be heard over the howling wind.

Wondering if he should call attention to the Hero's horrible knowledge of the alphabet, Sheik pulled his cowl higher up. It was truly a blessing in the horrible environment they were in at the moment. The robe kept sand out from every part of their bodies except their faces. The hoods were of little help since they kept being blown off their heads by the strong wind. Deciding not to mock the unfortunate Hero of Time, he answered: "What, the Shadow Temple wasn't easy enough to reach for you?"

"Shadow Temple doesn't count since you teleported us there!"

_Fair enough…_Sheik thought.

Progress was slow. The first sand dune hadn't been too bad to cross despite the Hero's numerous stops to empty his boots of sand. After the fifth time, Sheik had had enough and demanded to see the boots. There was no mystery as to how the sand got in, there was a hole big enough for his thumb to fit inside, and Sheik had spent five minutes lecturing the Hero about the importance of maintaining his equipment. Link had refused to go back to Gerudo Valley for another pair, and had at the same time lost any right to grumble about that particular issue, so now he focused on cursing the desert in general.

After the first dune had been cleared, they had been treated to a better view of the desert, which revealed absolutely nothing but more dunes and endless fields of sand in every direction. And hundreds of the poles leading them on a path that hopefully didn't terminate in one of the many sinister pools of quicksand Sheik had noticed on the way. He knew for a fact that the risk of drowning in quicksand was less than that of drowning in water, but if you got stuck in it, chances were good you were going to stay there for a while.

They had reached the wall of sand faster than the Sheikah had imagined, and were now being pummelled from all sides by the tiny grains that stung like bee stings if they hit their faces. Naturally, as Link just simply could not keep quiet when he was annoyed, the Hero had to spit every couple of seconds.

_I really shouldn't laugh…but when he can't realise that the simple act of closing his mouth would rid him of the problem…heh._

The sand storm was completely blocking out the sun now, and it was only due to Sheik's sight that they were able to follow the trail of poles, though even he had encountered problems when it turned out that a couple of poles had been swallowed by the wandering dunes. They could feel the warm air, and the environment was stifling, but at least the temperature wasn't a problem. The robes were keeping them quite cool.

It was impossible to figure out for how long they had walked, but Sheik roughly estimated that they had walked for six hours when they encountered strange bumps in the sand. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the bumps were the tops of stone walls concealed by the sand.

"Ayla said something about forts, didn't she?!" called Link to Sheik, who was studying the masonry. It was crude and quite frail, it seemed.

"Yes!" he called back. "But I don't think this is it. It seems to be just a regular house…and it's buried under quite a lot of sand."

"So we haven't found shelter?!"

Sheik could _feel_ the disappointment in his voice. "I'm afraid not!" He stood up and walked over to the Hero. "She said they were about halfway through the desert, and with the pace we are going at, I doubt we're even a quarter on the way!"

"I hate this place!" shouted Link.

"As do I, Hero, as do I!" Sheik answered. Then he noticed another bump in the sand. Only this one was…moving? He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the stinging grains that were threatening to fly into them. Sure enough, the sand pile was jerkily moving in a semicircle. Without a word, he went over to it, leaning down.

"What is it?!" asked Link.

"I don't know!" replied Sheik and turned his head to look at the Hero. "I've never been here before, and—"

"Look out!"

Sheik had just enough time to look down at the sand pile, which exploded.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 18**

There was a moment of complete chaos, and then Sheik roughly hit the sand, knocking the breath out of his lungs. His eyes stung, filled with the tiny particles that swirled around in the air. He could vaguely hear the Hero's cries of his name. He coughed, feeling liquid coming to his mouth. It tasted of iron.

_I must have split my lip,_ he thought. There was no time for other musings as what had burst out of the sand was obviously not done with him and hooked its…something around his right leg and started pulling. The seriousness of the situation caught up with Sheik's confused mind, and his eyes shot open, his hand automatically going for a dagger in his sleeve.

It was fast and strong, that much was obvious about the creature, but not much else. Sheik knew that he was being dragged through the sand at a pace much greater than his own, and he knew that if he didn't do anything about it soon, he would most likely disappear in the desert like so many others before him. He finally summoned the strength to lift his head (which was blissfully being protected by his hood) and tried to get a good look at what had grabbed his leg, a feat easier said than done since his trek through the desert was kicking up as much sand as a regular storm did.

But then he caught a glimpse of something long and…serpentine? It was hard to tell, but he made a wild guess and assumed that the thing was a creature with tentacles…very long tentacles too. He swung at the tentacle, trying to free his leg. The creature knew what he was trying, though, and dodged the blade, starting to pull him much faster. This caused Sheik's back to straighten, preventing him from attacking the tentacle any further.

Then he was suddenly being lifted into the air, dangling upside down over a large hole in the ground.

_No…not a hole…_

Something big was moving around in the hole, the darkness making it too hard to see. It seemed to be swirling, which caused Sheik to gasp.

_It's…it's not possible…_

He had heard stories of the creatures before, but the Sheikah records had stated that they were extinct, having died out hundreds of years before. It was no wonder why so many people had disappeared in the Gerudo Desert if one of these things were roaming around in it. And it had outsmarted Sheik with a really basic, really _stupid_ trap.

Then the Wyrm emerged, its long, grey body slowly rising from the hole. Apart from its skin, which just looked like rock, it was entirely featureless. Hundreds of tentacles, some long and some short, covered the bare patches of its skin, squirming and writhing as they tasted and smelled the environment. Sheik was lifted even higher, above the end where he assumed the Wyrm's head was, and he suddenly felt fear welling up within him. It was the first time in many years he had felt such fear, because he knew exactly what would happen next.

Four cracks spread from the tip of the Wyrm's head, spreading in four directions. The Wyrm opened its maw, displaying its horrid mouth and tongue to its prey. A vile odour unlike any other he had ever smelled enveloped him, making him gag. He could see the creature's blind eyes, hundreds of them, all lining the inside of its "lips", an evolutionary trait it had discarded when it discovered that eyes were of no use underground.

Then Sheik felt the tentacle's grip slacken, and he knew he was done for. All that awaited him now was a slow, painful death in complete darkness as the creature digested him.

_**No!**_shouted a voice inside his head, and Sheik's hand moved, throwing his dagger at one of the blank eyes, skewering it. Despite being useless to the creature itself, the eyes were still sensitive and vulnerable. The creature roared and recoiled away from the Sheikah, closing its mouth in the process. Then he was dropped, falling several feet through the air. His training kicked in, and Sheik twisted himself in the air, landing on his feet, the sand mercifully softening the impact.

The Wyrm disappeared back into its hole, the ground shaking as it started burrowing. Had he not known the creature's pattern, Sheik would have relaxed and thought the danger was over, but the records had been quite detailed, and he knew the battle was just beginning. But there was something he needed to confirm.

_Are you still there?_

No answer.

_Answer me, I know you're there! Shadow!_

_**You rang?**_

Sheik groaned when the Shadow's mark on his neck flared up in pain.

_So you _did_ save me…_ Sheik thought.

_**Saved?**_ asked the Shadow and laughed, its voice reverberating in Sheik's head. _**My, my, aren't we trying to fool ourselves? No, my pet, I did not "save" you…I'm merely trying to prevent an inferior creature having **_**my**_** fun with you… Did you think I had forgotten my promise? Not at all. I shall tell you one thing, pet, and that is that I will do far more than just eat you… Good luck killing the Wyrm…**_

Sheik felt light-headed for a second, and realised the Shadow had gone. There was time to think about what it had said, though, for he could feel the sand beneath his feet collapsing, and had to jump away. A fraction of a second later, the massive Wyrm once again emerged, exploding from the ground. If Sheik had remained standing where he had, he would already have been in the creature's stomach. He backed away, studying the Wyrm, which seemed to be doing the same.

_No surprise…I'm probably the first thing in years that has avoided being eaten by it so far…maybe it's rethinking the idea of the consuming me…_

He dodged a flailing tentacle that smashed down at him.

_No such luck, I suppose…_ He continued dodging the multitude of appendages that were now trying to crush him, his movements a second nature to him. He flipped, jumped danced out of the tentacles' paths.

_Now…what did the records say about how to defeat the damn thing? Its skin is impenetrable, and its vital organs are all concealed below ground as a second wall…its eyes are vulnerable, but to hit them, it has to open its mouth, which it never does unless it's preparing to eat something…_ The revelation came to him right after, and he groaned. _I have to let myself get caught in order to hurt it…this is not my day, is it?_

Luckily, it would not take long for another opportunity for the creature to have a hearty meal, as Sheik was whacked by a tentacle as he was mid-air after a jump. He flew through the air, hitting what had once been a stone wall with rib-cracking speed. He slid down to the sand, trying to assess the damage. A rib was definitely cracked, if not broken. Most likely one of the already damaged ones. He coughed, feeling the irony taste of blood on his tongue. Something had ruptured down there as well, he guessed.

He tried to stand up, but a wave of pain from his chest caused him to yell out and collapse against the wall. His ankle hurt as well, something he had not couldn't even remember having hurt it.

Yet again, there was no time for any thinking as one of the long tentacles was slithering its way towards him. He tried to kick it away, but it once again went to wrap around his leg. All it got was his robe. Sheik jumped to his feet, despite heavy protests from his body, and watched as the tentacle triumphantly lifted its quarry into the air, dropping the heavy cloak into the awaiting mouth.

_Why didn't I let it grab me?_ Sheik wondered. _I know it's the only way to kill it…yet I didn't want it to._ There was no answer from the Shadow, which was both a relief and oddly hurting, since it meant the part of his mind that was his worst critic would then speak. _It's because you're afraid, Sheik…you're afraid of being eaten. It's pathetic, what would your ancestors say?_

"Damnit!" Sheik shouted in frustration. Of all the times he could have an existential crisis, it had to happen now? He was unsure if it was because of his shouting or if the creature noticed that its food was less meaty than it had thought it would be, but the Wyrm turned to him again and roared, blasting the Sheikah with another salvo of the horrid smell emanating from its mouth. The longest tentacle was immediately sent forth to grab him, but this time, Sheik drew a dagger, knowing there was no other way.

He felt it wrap around his ankle, which twanged in pain—and suddenly realised why he could barely stand on it, the tentacle's grip being frighteningly strong. He felt his back impact with the sand as he was dragged to the waiting Wyrm, and he closed his eyes as he was lifted into the air. Again he found himself dangling above the giant worm's mouth. He opened his eyes, quickly finding a target. A milky-white eye regarded nothing as it lazily rolled around. Sheik aimed and threw, hitting the eye with pinpoint precision.

Unexpectedly, the Wyrm did not roar in pain and fling him away, instead opting to grip his ankle harder. Sheik screamed as he felt the bones breaking, but was silenced when another long tentacle smashed into his back. Another hit him in the stomach. He vomited from the impact. He had never read about the creature taking revenge for hurting it. He was blacking out as the pummelling continued, the tentacles knocking into him over and over again.

Then, as he felt the tentacle's grip slackening again, the Wyrm intent to finish him this time, something happened. Even in the roaring storm, Sheik heard the sharp whistle of an arrow flying through the air and the meaty **thunk** of it hitting flesh. The tentacle let go, and Sheik expected the darkness of the Wyrm's insides to envelop him any second, but was surprised to find himself caught by a pair of strong arms.

But even the Hero of Time had problems catching a human falling from dozens of feet in the air, and was unable to remain standing when he caught Sheik. They collapsed in a heap, and Sheik groggily looked at Link's face, blinking confusedly.

"…Link? W-what—"

"Just stay here," said Link and extracted himself from the Sheikah, pulling another arrow from his quiver. "I'll deal with this thing." Then he was gone from Sheik's point of view, but the Sheikah could hear more arrows whistling and hitting the Wyrm. It was an effort of massive proportions just to roll over so Sheik could actually see what was going on, but he was glad he did.

Link had disabled several of the longer tentacles with his arrows, the appendages dangling lifelessly from the Wyrm's body. The Wyrm seemed to be having problems deciding on whether or not to stay and fight (and hopefully eat) the newcomer. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, it leaned down toward the Hero, opening its mouth wide. Sheik tried to shout a warning about hitting the eyes not being effective anymore, but his voice was drowned out by the Wyrm's roar.

Not that it mattered as Link clearly had a plan of his own. He pulled out something from his robe, fiddled with it for a second, and threw it into the Wyrm's mouth. Sheik saw that round shape and burning fuse, and knew what was coming. He shielded his face with his arm, and waited. A body hit the ground next to his and Sheik felt Link trying to shield him with his body. Then the bomb exploded. It was surprisingly loud.

They waited for another thirty seconds before they looked up. Link whooped and stood up, looking at the remains of the Wyrm. The head was gone, replaced by a bloody stump, and the body was slowly sliding into the hole from whence it came. Confident that the creature was dead, Link leant down and looked at Sheik.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

_Do I look alright?_ thought Sheik. He coughed up blood. "I don't think so…Link," he said weakly. "It…crushed my ankle…some ribs are definitely broken…and I think I've got a concussion…"

"Huh, I think you're the first one who's ever been aware that he has one," said Link, trying to bring a little light into the situation. Realising the Sheikah seemed to be nodding off, he shook him. "Hey! Listen!" He paused for a second, realising how familiar those words sounded. He shrugged. "I passed what looked like a house on the way here! We need to get back to it so I can look at your wounds. Sheik? Sheik!"

The Sheikah was long gone, having passed out. Link sighed. "I'm the one who's supposed to get hurt, not you…"

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 19**

It turned out to be much more than a house Link had passed on the way to help Sheik. Kicking down the feeble planks barring the rectangular stone construction, the Hero of Time nearly fell into a large hole in the middle of the barren room. Link usually took these things in stride, seeing falling into a hole in the floor as an opportunity for adventure, but when he on top of everything carried a heavily wounded Sheikah who just happened to be his boyfriend, he decided to be careful.

He gently sat Sheik against the wall, noting that it was clearly disintegrating from lack of maintenance, and studied the hole. At one point or another, a staircase had clearly been placed underneath, the Hero noting the banisters on each side of the hole. A quick fireball, courtesy of Din, revealed that, indeed, there had been a staircase here…which was currently lying at the bottom of the tower, shattered beyond recognition. He did the same to a piece of wood, which was now serving as a torch.

"A tower…" the Hero said to himself, knowing how redundant it was, but he was quite worried at the moment, and the eerie silence that surrounded him needed to be filled. He found it amazing just how noise-insulated the tower was, testing it out by leaning out the boarded-up window. A cacophony of noise, whistling and howls greeted his sensitive ears. He leaned back inside. A mere whisper of the wind could be heard. Nevertheless, quite a bit of sand was starting to pile up in the opening, and he hung the heavy fabric of the tent Aveil had kindly provided them with in the opening, effectively cutting off all noise. It also stopped the small stone grains from trying to fill up the entrance.

Satisfied that they were safe from the wind and any eventual enemy encounters (though he had his doubts), he went to the unconscious Sheikah. Few people knew this, but Link knew quite a bit about medicine and potions, having grown up with Saria, who was (quite possibly) the most knowledgeable inhabitant of the woods apart from the the Deku Tree himself. What had happened in the Water Temple was…an accident, and not something he liked to think about. He knew he had been poisoned by his dark counterpart, but the sight of Navi's dead body had thrown all concern for himself out the window. And when Sheik had waited for him at the lake, Link passed out before he could tell him. And that had apparently been enough for the Sheikah to label Link as a nincompoop when it came to taking care of his body and such and such (the incident with the berries notwithstanding), and had promptly taken care of injuries himself.

But this time, Link thought, it was his turn. Sheik's robe was gone, having disappeared into the Wyrm's maw. Had it been Link's robe, and had the Hero been alone, he knew he would have climbed into the dead worm to find his lost possession, but he supposed Sheik wouldn't want it back now that it was covered in blood and Goddesses knew what else. Carefully, he pulled Sheik down so he was lying on the floor. Link bundled up his own robe and put it underneath the younger (physically, at least) boy's head. There was an ugly bruise on his forehead, a tentacle had struck him there, it seemed. There was nothing the Hero could do for the concussion, if that was what Sheik had. It had to heal on its own. Blushing, Link carefully rolled down Sheik's exoskeleton, noting the many black and purple bruises that were spreading all over the Sheikah's upper body. He also noticed that the scars from Sheik's fight with the wolfos were still brilliantly visible on Sheik's neck.

Shaking his head, Link started feeling around Sheik's ribs. The shadow warrior had been right, Link knew. The two lowest ribs on Sheik's right side were bent out of place, which Link didn't quite know what to do about. He could deal with cuts, scrapes, bruises and so on, but none of the Kokiri had ever had the decency to break a leg or two so Link could practice. But he did know _one _thing, and that was that any broken bones had to be reset so they would heal right. A red potion would knit them right up, _if_ they were properly aligned.

But he didn't want to hurt Sheik any more than necessary, and he had no idea how to set ribs back in place. Legs probably wouldn't be too much of a challenge, since everyone knew what way they were supposed to face, but ribs…ribs were tricky. Link had seen enough humanoid skeletons to know that the bones in question were curved. If they were broken in more places than one…

In the end, there was no avoiding it, he decided. But just in case, he gently shook Sheik's shoulder.

"Sheik, wake up," he said into his boyfriend's ear, hoping for any kind of reaction. "Sheik…please…"

"Phlm…" said the Sheikah.

Link perked up, realising that Sheik wasn't irreparably damaged. He leaned closer, whispering. "I need your help, Sheik."

"Wh…what…" said the half-unconscious Sheikah, his eyes opening just a crack. "With?" he finished.

"Your ribs are broken," said Link slowly, making sure that Sheik was taking it in. "I need to set them back…but I don't know how."

Sheik groaned. "Jus'…pop…them…back…in…place…" Sheik answered with the speed of a snail. "Should…not…be…hard…even…for…you…"

Feeling vaguely insulted, Link frowned and felt around the topmost broken rib. "Just pop them back?" he asked again, hoping to the goddesses that Sheik wasn't confusing "broken" with "out of joint".

"Mhm…" answered Sheik.

"Alright," said Link and prepared to push the offending bone back in place. "This is gonna hurt."

"Like…everything…else…"

Link looked up. What had prompted the Sheikah to say that? Why did everything else hurt? _What_ hurt? Being with Link? Having to help the Hero of Time? He wanted to ask the Sheikah so badly, but what would happen when Sheik woke up for real and found out that his lover had basically interrogated him? Link shook his head and went back to the task at hand. He looked at Sheik. "Ready?" he asked. At the Sheikah's nod, Link pushed. A horrible snapping sound ensued, closely followed by the unrestrained scream of pain from the blond boy. Link could feel the scream in the marrow, and he could feel tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, knowing that_he _was the one causing Sheik so much pain. But it had to be done.

He didn't wait for Sheik to prepare himself for the second one, wanting it to be over with as soon as possible. A second snap and a second, higher-pitched scream. Link embraced Sheik from the side, avoiding the damaged area, and whispered soothing words into his ear.

"It's done…it's over…you were so brave…it's over…it's okay now…shhh…"

He did so for five minutes. Halfway through, he noticed that Sheik was crying, tears slowly flowing down his face. This burst the dams in the Hero's eyes as well, and they both lay on the floor, crying in each other's arms.

Link didn't know how long they lay like this, but Sheik fell asleep at some time. Link stayed for a bit longer, not wanting to continue his ministrations, but knew that if he was to heal properly, Sheik needed treatment right away. He checked the Sheikah's ribs again, hoping that nothing was wrong.

"Now…what else was wrong?" he asked himself, trying to remember what Sheik had said. He snapped his finger right after. "Ankle." He took off his gauntlets and carefully rolled up the exoskeleton's legs, wondering at how strong yet delicate the material could be. The left ankle was fine, but the right was a red, bloated mess. The surrounding area had swelled so much it was hard to see where the actual ankle was. He noticed that Sheik's foot was slightly crooked, and carefully tried to make it point in the right direction. He felt like a child playing with a dead animal, poking and prodding just to see what happened. Sheik moaned every now and then.

_If_ the ankle had been crushed, as Sheik said, there was nothing Link could do but administer the red potion and hope it would heal right. And if it didn't…Sheik would be a cripple for the rest of his life. He punched the wall in frustration, growling at the unfairness of it all. He kicked the packs, one of them almost falling into the hole into the abyss below. The Hero's rage continued until he spotted something blue and shiny spilling out of his pack.

"The Ocarina of Time…" he said. "Of course, I can talk to Saria!" He slapped his forehead and ran to his pack, delicately picking up the instrument. He put the mouthpiece to his lips, feeling the now familiar notion of the entire world listening, and blew, his fingers moving automatically. Saria's Song echoed down below, making the tower just a bit more cheerful for a few seconds.

_The pain had been unbearable. He had broken bones before, but they had been minor fractures. The ribs had been completely broken, he had felt it. And the Hero had done his best to fix them. It was…comforting to know that someone was looking after him._

_Unlike here, where he was sure someone was looking _at_ him, but didn't reveal themselves. The spy was being spied upon. He realised the irony, but did not find it amusing. Not in the slightest._

_Of course, he did know_ _exactly _who_ was doing the looking, and he felt better without seeing him. The Shadow was the last person he wanted to see right now, but Sheik once again found himself in _his_ domain. All he could was wait. It didn't take long. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around him, and a chin was neatly placed on his shoulder. A warped version of the Hero's voice hummed into his ear._

"_I was wondering where you had gone off to," said Sheik, breaking out of the hold. "I figured you had lost interest after we were captured by the Gerudo."_

"_Not at all," said the Shadow and observed him with amusement. "You're not attacking me, nor are you insulting me. I wonder why this is." His red eyes glinted with amusement. "Could it be that you have…grown fond of me?" There was a mocking tone in his voice._

"_I have merely realised that there is no use in fighting you," replied Sheik and stepped away from the Hero's dark counterpart. "At least in here," he continued and gestured around. "You can infiltrate my dreams and control them…"_

"_Indeed," replied the Shadow. "If it had not been for your training, pet, I would have taken over your mind long ago."_

_Sheik sighed and crossed his arms, slanting his weight onto a hip. "What exactly is it you want with me, Shadow? I grow tired of these games. You want the Hero dead, and you have had many opportunities, yet taken none of them."_

_The Shadow laughed and walked closer to Sheik, who took one step back for each the Shadow took forward. "The same as I told you the first time, pet. I want you…and I want him to know that you belong to me. So far…I have yet to find a good moment to do so. But believe me, the time is coming, and coming soon."_

_Sheik was fast, but the Shadow was faster and caught the Sheikah's fist in his hand. The Shadow then slapped Sheik so hard he felt his teeth rattle._

"_I do wish you would stop trying to harm me in my domain," said the Shadow, yanking Sheik to him by his collar. "Have I not proven again and again that there is nothing you can do to me in here? Whilst I, on the other hand, can do whatever I wish," he said and crushed his lips to Sheik's. When they parted, the Shadow was grinning. "As much as I like to hear you say the word 'Shadow', I would appreciate that you would call me by my name."_

_Sheik, dizzy and woozy, had to focus on the sentence to make out just what the counterpart had said. "And…that is?"_

_The Shadow grinned. "Speil."_

_Giving up, Sheik sighed. "Suits you…means mirror, doesn't it?"_

_Speil smiled. "Exactly." He once again seized Sheik in an unrelenting grip. "I can sense that you will not wake up for a while. Why don't we…enjoy ourselves?"_

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 20**

There was no end of the storm in sight, it seemed. Link had started feeling cooped up and had peeked outside, receiving a face full of sand for his troubles. After the initial moments of panic and determination while dealing with Sheik's injuries, the silence and lack of space to move around in had started bothering the Hero a lot. There was absolutely nothing to do, and he was feeling more and more stir-crazy for every minute that passed.

Sighing, the Hero sat down against the wall, next to Sheik. He looked at the now somewhat-peaceful Sheikah and smiled. At least Saria had been able to help him. He remembered the conversation perfectly, partly out of its significance and partly out of just having heard Saria's voice again after so long. He hadn't realised how much he actually had missed his friend until after he played her song.

"_Link? Is that you?"_

"_Saria, I need your help!"_

After briefly explaining what had happened, the Kokiri Sage had immediately taken control, making sure that Link did this and that to heal Sheik's injuries. She too had been worried about the crushed ankle, but after Link applied some potion directly to the area, the swelling had gone down a bit, making it much easier for the pair to work out what needed to be done. Fortunately for Sheik, the bones weren't as damaged as originally thought, and with a few days' worth of rest and no applied pressure to the leg, he would be fine.

That was half a day ago now, and Link was impatiently waiting for Sheik to wake up. He was worried about the stillness the Sheikah displayed, his chest barely rising and falling, producing not a single sound, which was a drastic change from the screaming and moaning. But he seemed fine, and another examination had revealed no fever, no abnormal heart beats or any other sign of trouble.

"I guess he just needs the sleep," Link told himself and stretched his arms above his head. It had to be. The Sheikah had gotten very little sleep between being drugged by the Gerudo and wandering in the desert, and he _had_ apparently been pushing himself much harder than usual. And then there was the trek through the mountains…

But he was bored, damnit! Standing up, he walked over to the hole in the floor and peered down into the darkness. Not a sound had emerged from the hole since their arrival, which Link took as a sign of no life down there, friendly or hostile. He looked up at the ceiling above the hole. A patch of wood with a hook in it was attached to the stone, surely a remnant of some kind of hanging torch. There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.

He opened his pack and rummaged around, his fingers closing around the cool metal handle of his Longshot. Its weight was a kind of comfort, reminding him of the first time he had ever used it at the Forest Temple's entrance. That was also the first time he had heard Sheik play his lyre…

With a final glance at the sleeping Sheikah, Link fired the Longshot. The hook buried itself far into the wooden patch. He pressed a button that locked the chain in place and started pulling roughly. Not an inch of give, neither from the hook nor the patch. Link nodded in satisfaction. He was about to swing himself down the hole when he was reminded of something. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time and put it next to Sheik, giving him a light peck on his cheek. If Sheik woke up while he was gone, he would see the Ocarina and know that Link hadn't left him.

He hung in mid-air above the hole, about to release the lock on the chain.

"I'm sorry, Sheik, but I've got to do _something_," he said out loud, mostly for himself. The lock gave with a click, and Link fell into the hole.

_Many strange thoughts and images had popped up in Sheik's mind when Speil's words had drifted into his ears, but nothing could have prepared him for what the Hero's dark counterpart had in mind._

_That the Shadow lusted for him was no secret, especially when one considered the kisses, bites and gropes that had ensued every time Speil had cornered the Sheikah, but he had yet to "go all the way", as Link probably would have put it, even if he didn't understand what it meant._

_Indeed, Sheik had expected Speil to push him to the ground and perform unspeakable acts of…well, _that_, after suggesting they "enjoy themselves", and had closed his eyes in preparation, determined not to make it easy for the Shadow. When nothing had happened, Sheik had cautiously opened his eyes, the darkness gradually yielding for the sight of an amused-looking Speil, surrounded by…a forest?_

_It was the Lost Woods, he'd realised soon after. He recognised the stump where the Skull Kid had eluded Link when he had first entered the forest after retrieving the Master Sword. Upon receiving Sheik's questioning half-glare, half-glance, Speil had chuckled and jumped up on the stump._

"_You think of me as a beastly creature, do you not?" he asked, although it sounded more like a statement from the way he said it._

_It's a trick question, Sheik had thought. He nodded. "True. I do think of you as beastly. You murdered an innocent fairy and probably countless others before we met. And what for? The mere bid from your master."_

_Speil look surprised, the glow from his red eyes brightening just a fraction. "My master? And who would that be?" he asked._

_It caught Sheik off-guard, but he quickly tried to recover. "Your master, Ganondorf, the Evil King, the one who has reigned in Hyrule with an iron fist and caused unspeakable pain and misery for the last seven years."_

_Speil nodded. "Yes, Ganondorf. I have heard of him…though he is not my master."_

"_What?"_

"_Ah, I do believe we have somewhat of a misunderstanding on our hands," said Speil and sat down on the stump, looking down at Sheik with amusement. "What makes you believe he is my master?"_

"_Your very existence," replied Sheik, crossing his arms. "Ganondorf controls darkness. You are the Hero of Time's dark mirror image, a perversion of his personality and appearance. He created you to surprise the Hero and murder him in the Water Temple."_

_Speil chuckled. "It seems logical, had it not been for one fatal flaw in your reasoning."_

"_Which is?"_

"_The fact that I was not created by Ganondorf."_

_He's playing with you, Sheik told himself. He is a lying, conniving, _evil_ creature. Don't let him fool you. "I don't believe you," Sheik stated._

"_I didn't expect you to," said Speil. "But perhaps you will after hearing me out?" There was a hitherto unheard tone in Speil's voice. It sounded…hopeful? Speil looked away from Sheik, glancing at the field of wildflowers close to the bridge. The sun's rays cast a radiant shine on them._

_After several seconds of silence, Sheik realised that Speil was actually waiting for him to say yes or no, a complete reversal of how he had behaved before, when he would just do what he wanted, regardless of what Sheik thought. I already know he will lie, Sheik thought. What harm could it do? "Very well, speak."_

"_Surely you have heard of the legend of the temple beneath Lake Hylia?" asked Speil, still looking at the flowers. "That it once used to be a proving ground for young men of the land, Hylian, Sheikah, Goron and Zora alike?"_

"_Yes," answered Sheik._

_It was an old legend, hundreds of years old, in fact. Before it had fallen into disuse and eventually rotted away, the river feeding the lake had once been regulated by a gigantic dam further up. Every fifth year, it would be closed, draining the lake and revealing the temple entrance. The young men of the races flocked to it to prove themselves, whether it be to impress a young lady (or man, in some cases) or other things._

_It was said that the temple was a nightmare to go through, that many perished before they even had a chance to reach the main chamber. And that was just from the creature. The young men's ultimate goal was the inner chamber, where it was said a magnificent treasure lay in wait. Of course, it occurred to none of them that only the Hero of Time could ever reach it. None ever made it to the inner chamber._

_But it was not for the treasure that most went inside, but for a chance to conquer their most hated enemy, their most difficult foe: themselves. The temple required logic, strength and guile._

_The practice died out after so many young men lost their lives to the challenge, killed by either the many hostile creatures inside or the deadly traps, and the records of the Challenge was now only known to ancient historians and librarians…and Impa._

"_It was a suicide run, a foolish quest to conquer their fears," said Sheik. "What does that have to do with your existence?"_

_Speil chuckled. "I see you have not figured it out. Very well, I shall explain it to you." He jumped down from the stump and walked over to Sheik, towering over the young spy. "They did not enter the temple to conquer themselves figuratively, but literally."_

_What's he on about now? Sheik narrowed his eyes in suspicion, to which Speil sighed._

"_Dear, oh dear, must I spell everything out for you, Sheikah?" he asked mockingly. "They fought not their fears, but they very thing that gave birth to those fears itself."_

"_You don't mean…?" began Sheik, unable to finish the sentence. If he understood what Speil was suggesting…_

"_Exactly," said Speil. "At the heart of the temple, close to the inner chamber, there lays a room filled with mist and water. A solitary island lies in the middle, upon which a single, dead, tree stands. The more clever and deducting of the young men realised it the second their reflections in the water disappeared. Others did not until a figure appeared on the island. The Hero, for example, was part of the latter group." He caught sight of Sheik's expression and chuckled again._

"_You're…you're not a…"_

"_A minion of Ganondorf after all? Nay, I am not. I am something much more…complicated. Who created me? The temple did. Why? To test the Hero. A simple existence, perhaps, but something happened when the Master Sword pierced my heart." Speil turned his back to Sheik. "I became…sentient, for the lack of a better word. I became aware of myself. Before, I was just a reflection of My Light, but the magical sword turned me into something else. It…transferred part of his soul into me. That is all I understand about it." He turned back to Sheik. "I am afraid my oral skills are still quite underdeveloped, and I fear my explanation was far from satisfactory. But I believe you now understand what I am…and why I exist."_

_He is nothing like Link, Sheik screamed in his mind. "If a part of the Hero's soul was transferred into you, then surely you would not be such a, for the lack of a better word, bastard. He is nothing like you, and you are nothing like him."_

_Speil's cap slipped off his head and landed in the grass. A strange grin had appeared on his face. "Being the chosen of the Goddesses…has nothing to do with personality or beliefs," he said. "Hero or not, My Light is still very much a mortal man…and every mortal have feelings like fear, anger and hate. My Light may not show it, but even he doubt and hates…and those feelings are in me as well. I am a personification of every negative emotion in My Light. I cannot exist without him…"_

"_Yet you are trying to kill him," stated Sheik, now unsure of what to make of everything. "If you succeed, then surely you will disappear."_

"_That may be," said Speil. "But perhaps not. All I know is that as long as I am still alive, the Hero of Time will never reach his full potential."_

_Sheik gasped. "What?"_

"_I did not just receive his feelings," said Speil. Suddenly, he was standing behind Sheik, his mouth inches away from the Sheikah's left ear. An arm was wrapped around his middle, and Sheik could feel the strong chest at his back. "I received part of his power, which is why I was able to tear myself away from that wretched temple's control. I carry his strength…which he will need to defeat the Evil King." He licked the shell of Sheik's ear. "I have long since resigned myself to my fate, to be defeated by My Light, which, I suppose, it always was. But I will not just let it happen. If My Light wants his power back…he must fight for it."_

"_He…won't…lose…" said Sheik, panting. Why did this creature have such power over him?_

"_Perhaps he will, perhaps he won't. That is yet to be decided."_

"_You…just…said…you…were…resigned…"_

"_There are always loopholes," said Speil and nibbled on Sheik's ear. He sighed, pulling himself away from the confused Sheikah. "You are waking up," he said. "I will see you again very soon, my pet."_

_The forest faded away, replaced by a light growing brighter and brighter…_

_To be continued…_

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 21**

The moment Sheik woke up, he would have given anything to go back to Speil's realm, despite the presence of said shadow. The pain was almost unbearable. His chest was on fire, every breath was agony. His ankle felt like a mangled mess. Everything was hazy, and he was dizzy. But worst of all: Link wasn't there.

Had he been in a better condition, Sheik would have leapt to his feet, his gaze flying all over the place in search of the Hero of Time, but all he could manage now was slowly shifting his head in either direction while uttering a feeble "Link?"

Where was he? And also, where was _Sheik_? The last thing he remembered from when he was awake was sand approaching at an alarming speed. And then there was darkness, a cracking sound and agonising pain, as well as a warm and shaking embrace. There had been tears as well. But now Sheik was lying inside a building, there was no mistaking it. Stone floor, stone walls, stone ceiling…definitely man-made.

He tried to sit up, but had to yield to the protests from his ribs. Not that he would have accomplished much with it, considering the destroyed ankle, but just lying about didn't _feel_ right. _He_ was supposed to look after the Hero, not the other way around. Said Hero was, of course, missing at the moment, which is where everything fell apart as far as Sheik was concerned. He felt panic rear its ugly head and his eyes darted more desperately around the room. Some kind of fabric was blocking a doorway of sorts, and a small fire had been started close, built with planks.

Then he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye. He turned to his left and saw the instrument. The Ocarina of Time glinted in the firelight, almost blinding Sheik when his gaze faced it at a certain angle. He slowly, tiredly reached out for it. His fingers closed around it, and he brought it closer.

_He wouldn't leave this behind…_ he thought. Of course, he never expected Link to voluntarily leave Sheik behind, considering all they had been through (also, the Hero would be absolutely _lost_ without the Sheikah's guiding hand), but it was still a comfort, and Sheik felt touched that Link had thought of it.

But, enough was enough, and Sheik sat up. He groaned as the ribs played the symphony of pain, but held fast, and soon found himself sitting up against the wall. The Hero had covered him with a blanket, but Sheik still shivered. The fire helped little with warming up the room. Another thing that bothered him about the place was the complete absence of any other sound than the ones from the fire and himself. There had been a sandstorm during the fight with the Wyrm, and it had shown no sign of dissipating any time soon. Sheik had been injured and knocked out, yes, but not for long judging by the lack of recovery. He glanced at the fabric covering the doorway again.

_Surely that puny thing is not keeping out the storm?_ He decided not to investigate when his ankle gave an angry throb in warning.

He sighed. He felt…safe, oddly enough, but there were only so many things Sheik could think about before becoming bored. He'd rather not think about what he had talked about with Speil, since the content of that particular conversation had disturbed him to the very core of his being.

_Link isn't at full strength? But he has defeated the guardians of two temples!_ he thought. _Morpha was not a strong monster,_ his other side reminded him. _And Bongo-Bongo really did not fight back at full strength because of his death wish. You know it, but you won't admit it. Without you, the Hero would have died in the Shadow Temple…of course the Hero isn't at full strength._

Sheik shook his head, earning him another lashing from his clouded mind. Speil…a nemesis, a monster and a mystery all in one being. And apparently, a vital target if the quest is to be a success.

_But why did he tell me all that? Surely he expects me to tell Link about him, about why he still exists?_

_No, he knows you won't, because you have yet to reveal that he survived the last battle with the Hero in the Water Temple. He knows you won't because you're afraid the Hero will reject you when you tell him you have been lying to him all along._

"Shut up!" growled Sheik and punched the floor, ignoring the blossoming pain from his knuckles. It was so frustrating! He again became aware of the ocarina resting in the palm of his other hand. He remembered the feeling he'd gotten when playing it back at Lake Hylia. It was…scary, yet relieving at the same time. The whole world listened, but not with critical ears.

The silence was pressing in around him. A draft, even colder than the air inside the room, suddenly drifted over him. His teeth chattered, and Sheik looked around for the source. It hadn't come from the doorway, the cloth hadn't moved. It was then that he noticed something in front of him, directly underneath the patch of wood in the ceiling. A hole. A rectangular hole, with what looked like ancient banisters on either side.

_He went down there, didn't he?_ he thought, wondering why in Hyrule he had added a rhetorical question at the end of his own thought. _Must be more injured than I thought._

But how long had he been down there for? What if he had encountered some kind of creature down there that did not take well to trespassers? Or worse yet, another Wyrm?

"Link?!" he shouted, wincing at how much his voice was amplified by the room. No answer came. "Link!" he tried again. No answer yet. He punched the floor again. For all he knew, the Hero of Time could be lying down there, dying or dead, while he lay up here, lazing about. "Link, answer me!"

He was bleeding from his knuckles. He wiped away the blood with a bandage from his wrist.

_Serves me right for loosing my cool,_ he thought. If Impa had been here, she'd be ashamed at the irrational way he was acting. Panicked, afraid, frustrated, all emotions that the Sheikah were taught to ignore at all times.

He was uncertain, in retrospect, whether he remembered about the ocarina on his own, or if something else was prodding his mind, like the instrument itself. In either case, he wasted no time in putting the mouthpiece to his lips. The world was listening again, and Sheik couldn't remember any songs. The Hero always made it seem so easy. There was a reason for why Sheik kept to stringed instruments.

In the end, a series of notes popped up in his mind, and he wasted no time in playing them. It was an eerie tune, reminding him of the Song of Storms that Link sometimes played when he was in a bad mood. He had yet to figure that the weather actually changed when he played it, and his mood had always worsened when it started to rain. The many times Sheik had wanted to walk up and punch the boy in the head for his slowness…

But no, this was a vastly different song. It sounded like something that should be played at the Temple of Time, yet, at the same time, shouldn't be. Sheik felt dizzy and decided that lying down again would probably be a good idea, especially if his concussion theory was of any value. He kept the ocarina grasped tightly in his hand, though, not daring to let it go. It was his only link to…Link. He giggled. And then he stopped himself, surprised at the sound he had just made.

_I _must_ be ill…I'm giggling, for goddesses' sake…_

At some point, he must have fallen asleep, for the fire was growing weaker by the minute as he watched it. The wood was nearly all gone, and the flame was starting to flicker out. And with that, his only light source would be gone. But it wasn't the flickering fire that had awoken him, he knew. There had been a noise. A clicking sound, coming from the hole. Had it been the rhythmic, tip-tap-sound that Link made when he was running across stone, Sheik would have been relieved. But this was one was irregular, like something had far too many legs to know what to do with.

With great effort, he was able to sit up again, drawing out a dagger with limbs that felt like lead. And then waited. The first thing that even dared to peek its head over the edge (that wasn't Hylian, at least) would get a knife in the eye. His breath was quickening along with his pulse. He was running several imaginary scenarios through his head, all ending with something dead falling back down the hole. He was expecting pretty much anything at this point.

What he _didn't_ expect, however, was a hook on a chain suddenly exploding from the hall and digging itself deep into the wooden patch above it. Delirious, Sheik prepared to throw a dagger at the chain's weak link close to the hook, intending to sever it. He caught himself just in time, however, and quickly stuffed the dagger away. He may have been injured, but he'd be damned if Link was going to find his partner shaking like a leaf.

Something was coming up the chain, its receptors clicking as the links were fed into the maw of the Longshot. By the time Link was dangling well above the hole, Sheik had managed to cross his arms and set his face in a grim expression. Link noticed that the Sheikah was up, and smiled, wrenching loose the hook, dropping to his feet just shy of the edge of the hole.

"Where were you?" asked Sheik tersely.

The Hero of Time scratched the back of his neck embarrassedly. "Uh, I got a bit…impatient and went off to explore."

"Do you have any idea of how dangerous that could've been, Hero?" asked Sheik, glaring. "What if you had been ambushed and killed by some horrible creature because I was not there to watch your back. Navi is not with you anymore, Hero, and you have made it quite clear that you are absolutely helpless without someone to look out for you."

_Why did I say that?_ Sheik wondered when he saw the brief look of pain flashing across Link's features. _Why am I even angry? He's more than capable of taking care of himself, despite not…being himself completely…_

"I'm sorry, Sheik."

Any other tirade that was waiting to be unleashed froze completely when Sheik heard the barely choked back sob that Link had made. He gasped when the Hero looked up and revealed that he was starting to cry.

_I just _had_ to mention the fairy, didn't I? For pity's sake, Sheik, what the hell is wrong with you?_

Indeed, _why_ was he so angry? It was obviously safe enough upstairs, and while Link sometimes didn't think quite through what he did, he would never risk his life for something as silly as exploring.

"No, no, don't be," muttered Sheik. A headache was coming on, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm the one who should be…I'm not feeling all too well."

The Sheikah had never seen anyone change moods so quickly. Within seconds of admitting not feeling alright, the Hero had wiped away the salty liquid and run over to him, checking for any more injuries.

"What's wrong? Is it the ribs? Oh, fiddlesticks, I did the ribs wrong, didn't I? Saria assured me it was okay, but I just _knew_ it wasn't? How's the ankle? Worse, or better? Saria said that it was perfect, but I—"

"Hero, Hero!" yelled Sheik, trying to calm the panicking Link. "It's alright…you did good with the bones. It's my head, I'm dizzy and it hurts."

Link sighed and sat beside him. "Not much to do about that but pump you full of potion, Saria said," he said. And that was, apparently, it. No mention of the harsh words Sheik had pumped him full of when he came up, no mention of Navi, no nothing. And Sheik felt anger flare up again, but tried to subdue it.

_Why doesn't he stand up for himself? I yelled at him without reason…_

"Link…I'm sorry for what I said…"

"Don't be," said Link, mirroring Sheik's words. "I understand. I should've known better than to run off on my own while you were injured. And yes, you're right, without someone to watch my back; I probably would have died if I ran into an enemy."

"Hm," said Sheik, unable to come up with anything decent to say. His head was throbbing, and he was so tired…

"By the way," said Link suddenly. "I heard you play the ocarina." He pointed at the instrument Sheik was holding tightly. "I've never heard that song before."

"You…heard me?" asked Sheik.

"Yeah!" said Link. "That's why I came back. I know you wouldn't do it unless it was important or really, really needed me." He put an arm around Sheik's shoulders. "And here I am."

The silence was immediately surrounding them again. The fire was on its last reserves, and soon it would be dark. Sheik leant against Link's side, feeling strangely content, yet incredibly guilty for his outburst.

_It's the concussion…it's the concussion,_ he repeated to himself.

"I love you."

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 22**

The two stared at each other, both completely flabbergasted at what had just been said. Sheik's eyes had widened to the size of saucers, and Link's lower jaw seemed to have unhinged itself.

"Excuse me?"

"Excuse me?"

They stared again. Saying things in unison could have strange effects on people.

"What did you say?"

"What did you say?"

A pair of mouths closed quicker than a mousetrap, leaving the room in silence. The Hero of Time and the Last of the Sheikah, both unbelieving of what they had just heard.

_**Oh, for pity's sake…**_ someone rumbled in Sheik's mind. He ignored it. They both kept staring, their gazes locked with the other's. Shock had numbed Sheik completely, banishing every notion of fatigue and confusion.

A sudden gust of air from the hole killed the last of the flames of the fire, leaving embers in its wake, and the room in darkness.

None of them knew who moved first, but seconds later they found themselves embracing each others, lips locked in passion. Link opened his mouth, his tongue begging Sheik's lips for entrance, to which the Sheikah yielded with pleasure. There wasn't even a battle for dominance, the Hero assuming control instantly. Hands groped, hot breaths intermingled. Ribs ached, but were ignored.

Link's hands found their way to Sheik's braided hair and undid the string holding them together, making the blond tresses cascade down Sheik's back. The Sheikah's fingers were buried in Link's hair, his hands roaming everywhere they could.

Despite the fire having gone out, the pair found themselves hotter than they had ever felt, even warmer than out in the dunes. A hand found its way underneath Link's tunic. Another hand was cupping Sheik's cheek.

It was, Sheik decided later, the most passionate moment they had had, which was why it hurt so much to pull away from the Hero, both panting and sweating. He didn't do so because he had no wish to…continue, but because Link's hand had strayed to a certain _sensitive_ area, which, irrationally, had filled Sheik with a sudden bout of fear. His eyes widened, and he slapped Link's hand away. The Hero gasped and pulled away.

There was no need for words; Sheik could _feel_ the confusion coming from Link. He was thankful it was dark, for if he had been able to see the Hero's face, he surely wouldn't have been able to stop himself from diving back in.

Nevertheless, the Hero had to voice his outrage. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" The hand approached again while he said this, and Sheik took it in his own, squeezing comfortingly.

"No, Link, you didn't," he answered, filling his voice with as much regret as he could.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I…I-I just…can't, Link. Not yet." He lowered his head, staring at what he hoped was the ground. "It…I don't think I'm ready." It was a lie. He felt _so _ready to show how much he loved Link, but something in his mind was telling him not to go through with it. And he knew exactly what it was. Duty reared its ugly head in his thoughts, reminding him that there was no time for relationships when the fate of the entire free world rested on the Hero's shoulders.

_I'm distracting him…again…_

And it was so unfair, like everything else in the world. It was unfair to the princess, the Hero and…it was so unfair to Sheik. All his life he had been taught to put duty before everything else, and he had accepted it. He understood the importance of his complete dedication to the princess' cause, and had sworn to forever uphold the virtues of the royal family…but that was before he had actually _met_ the Hero of Time, before he had rescued him from the traitorous Ingo, _before the Hero had revealed his affection in the mountains_…

He wanted to cry out and punch something, _anything_. Even the floor would suffice, as it had demonstrated some hours before. And most horrifying of all, he would even have punched the Hero if he had been able to see him. Because, in the end, it was all Link's fault. Sheik didn't blame him, of course, but Link had not proven to be what Sheik had expected of the fabled Hero of Time.

"Don't worry," said Link suddenly and calmly. "I understand."

"No, you don't!" yelled Sheik. "You don't understand anything!"

Link didn't answer, and Sheik knew that he should have kept his mouth shut. But it was done, and nothing could take it back. And the moment was destroyed as the two slid apart, lost in their thoughts. Link was confused as to why Sheik had suddenly rejected him, and Sheik wondered whether or not he had completely ruined his relationship with Link forever.

The storm outside seemed to have picked up, for they could not hear the faint howling of the wind. The fabric in front of the doorway shifted and danced in the wind, yet permitted not a single grain of sand to enter.

A sudden pain in his hand alerted Sheik to the fact that he had been clenching his fist so hard that his nails had bit through the skin. Unable to see, he wiped the hand on his bandages, praising the Sheikah who had come up with the practice.

"So…you love me, huh?" asked Link, having apparently forgotten the way Sheik had angrily rejected him minutes before.

"…yes. And you love me, I suppose?"

"Yeah, more than anything."

_This isn't going to work. If we are to complete the quest, then I can't allow him any closer than this. Perhaps afterwards, if the princess allows it, but not before. The Desert Colossus awaits…and then the Evil King. And Speil…he must be defeated as well…and Link will hate me for lying to him._

"We can't do this," Sheik whispered. He felt Link shift closer to him and lean forwards.

"What?"

"I said we can't do this," Sheik repeated a bit louder.

"Why not?"

"Because it will end up with one of us getting hurt or worse."

"Not to be an ass, but one of us is hurt already," Link pointed out. "Speaking of which, it's time for a dose of potion."

Sheik took the offered bottle and took a swig, shuddering at the bitter taste. He handed the bottle back to Link, who took it and put it away. How he was able to in the complete blackness was beyond Sheik.

"That's not what I meant," said Sheik.

"I know," replied Link. "You meant that we both have our duties to perform and that we shouldn't let anything get between us and them, including each other."

_**He really is surprisingly insightful when pressed into a corner, isn't he?**_ asked Speil, his voice a mere hiss in the back of Sheik's head. The Sheikah once again ignored the counterpart's comments. "Correct. Link, I…love you, but as long as Ganondorf is still in control, we can't afford to be sidetracked."

The statement was met with silence, and Sheik wondered if the Hero was angry with him. He wouldn't be surprised if he was. In addition to being a much younger boy trapped in an adult's body, tasked with a nearly impossible quest by the goddesses, he was also currently being shoved away from the person he loved because of a cruel trick by fate.

"I understand," were the last words Sheik expected from Link. He stroked Sheik's cheek with a calloused hand. "You want to put our relationship on hold until we're done."

_Perhaps not the exact wording I would use, but it fits._

"Yes, Link. That's exactly what I mean."

The Hero's sigh, a heart wrenching sound, made Sheik feel terrible.

"Fine, I agree," Link said, his voice a low murmur. "But on one condition."

"What is it?"

Sheik smiled sadly when Link's lips descended on his. "I get to do that whenever I want," he said.

_**Throw the boy a bone!**_

In the darkness that followed, it was hard to know when he had fallen asleep. Another brightly burning fire greeted Sheik when he woke up, and the Sheikah's mood perked up quite a bit when he discovered that he could move his torso without flinching. There wasn't any pain at all! A dull ache from the ankle was still felt when he walked on his feet, but a vast improvement from the sheer agony that had been there the night before.

Link was gone, again. The ocarina had been left behind this time as well. Sheik decided not to play it, wanting to be alone for a little while. Kazuya direly needed a polish, he found out when he pulled the blade from its scabbard. The sand had gotten inside, and the sword would suffer permanent tarnish if he didn't do something about it.

Oiling and sharpening the blade was an activity Sheik found extreme comfort in. Whether it was the slow, monotonous movements or the satisfaction of a job well done, he didn't know. All he knew was that as long as he had a bottle of oil and a sharpening stone, he could find peace in the worst of situations. Kazuya glinted in the firelight.

Expecting the Hero to emerge from the hole in the floor, Sheik was shaken when the cloth in the doorway was suddenly thrust aside, revealing the murky desert outside. Link hurried inside, quickly covering the entrance to prevent any sand from getting in. He looked annoyed.

"What's wrong?" asked Sheik.

Link jumped, apparently having not noticed the Sheikah sitting on the floor. "Oh, you're up. Good. How's the ribs and leg?"

Slightly disappointed at the neutral tone in the Hero's voice, Sheik answered: "They're fine. I can walk again without trouble. Now, answer my question."

"That's a relief," said Link and sighed. He took off his robe and threw it in the corner with his backpack. "I was trying to scout out where to go next, but the storm's obliterated absolutely everything we could've used as landmarks."

"So we're lost?"

"It seems that way. But, I think I found something yesterday that will help us greatly."

"Which is?"

"A tunnel."

"A tunnel?"

"Yes, a tunnel, now stop repeating what I say."

_Says the genius himself,_ thought Sheik. "What kind of tunnel was what I meant to say?"

"It's in the lower levels of the tower. It seems to point off in the direction we were heading before the…that worm-thingy."

"The Wyrm," corrected Sheik. "And there are no enemies down there?"

"I'm not sure. I walked a maybe half a mile before I heard the ocarina yesterday, but it seemed safe enough."

Sheik stood up, attaching Kazuya's scabbard to his back. "Then we have no choice. Going through the desert in a sandstorm is no less of a risk."

"Wait," said Link and stopped. "You're actually agreeing to a plan of mine?"

"There's a first for everything, Hero," said Sheik. "How do we get down there?" He fetched his pack and was about to ask Link again, but froze when he heard the clinking of the Hero's Longshot. He turned around and saw Link grinning and fiddling with the chain-shooting device. "Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"Did I mention I hate the Longshot?" asked Sheik as they dangled over the abyss-like hole. Yet again he was holding on to the Hero for dear life, annoyed at having to break their deal already.

"Many times, I think," said Link. "I like it, though, especially when you're with me." He looked down at Sheik and leant down, pecking the Sheikah slightly on the lips. "I'm not making it very easy for you, am I?"

"Not really," said Sheik, blushing.

_I won't be able to keep my distance if it continues like this,_ he thought. And then Link released the lock.

The bottom of the shaft was, not unexpectedly, very dark. Link quickly illuminated the place with a torch and a quick muttering of Din's Fire. The collapsed pile of wood that was all that remained of the staircase was covered in dust and sand. The floor creaked ominously as they walked across it, Sheik noticing _it_ was made of wood as well.

"How many levels are there, exactly?" he asked, wincing at the echo his voice made.

Link detached the Longshot's hook and put the device in his pack. "Thirteen, if you don't count the collapsed floors on the way down," he answered. He pointed at a stone doorway. "There's a staircase in there that leads down to the tunnel. It's made of stone, but it seemed kinda brittle."

Following the Hero, Sheik was amazed at just how big the tower was. A large doorway was blocked off by the rubble, surely hiding a large hall of some kind. The stairs to the tunnel, on the other hand, were cramped and small.

_It was probably some kind of hidden escape route,_ he thought as they descended the stairs. The piercing ring in Link's ear glowed in the light from the torch, bringing Sheik's train of thought back to the Hero.

_He's taking this surprisingly well,_ he thought. _He _did_ resist my…advances when the Gerudo drugged me…maybe he's not as…eager as I thought._

"So what was that worm?" Link asked suddenly.

"Hm?"

"The worm. You seemed to know a bit about it."

Happy to be distracted from his thoughts, Sheik explained. "It's a creature from the days of old, the only natural predator in the wastes of the world. They can live almost anywhere, the desert, glaciers, mountains, swamps…anywhere that's big enough for them to hide. I was surprised to see one here, though."

"Why is that?"

They reached the lowest level of the tower, and a gaping hole in the wall seemed to be sucking them in. The tunnel was built in a completely different style than the rest of the building, making Sheik think it had been added in later. The mortar was crumbling, and there were piles of collapsed rock everywhere.

"Because they're supposed to be extinct in this part of the world," continued Sheik. "The Sheikah hunted them down on the order of the royal family of Hyrule. The Gerudo used to hunt them as a rite of passage. Between the two peoples, the Wyrms disappeared. But they're back now, and I think I know why."

"Yeah?"

"Ganondorf must have something to do with their return. He can resurrect creatures, like Volvagia at Death Mountain."

"I see. I hated that dragon."

Their footsteps echoed in the tunnel. It dipped down, went in a sig-sag, suddenly rose sharply. They walked in silence, not out of a lack of wanting conversation, but because they didn't want to alert any possible creatures to their presence. Carrying a torch was bad enough. Neither of them was able to relax when they took breaks either. The weight of the sand above them was pressing down on the small tunnel, and Sheik could see visible cracks in the ceiling where, sooner or later, it would collapse and fill the tunnel with sand. Small piles of the particles lay here and there, slowly falling from the ceiling.

The throbbing in his ankle was growing worse, Sheik noticed. It still hadn't healed enough to be able to take the strain, and he gulped down some potion, not wanting to slow down Link. But his body had other plans, as it usually does, and just as they were rounding a sharp bend to the left, Sheik took a wrong step. His ankle bent, and the Sheikah fell to the floor, gritting his teeth.

Link was beside him right away, fussing. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Ankle…wrong…step," was all Sheik could say. Something was being pressed down on inside the joint, and kept massaging it so the pain would go away. His hand was pushed away, and Link's gauntleted hand was now feeling the joint. Unlike his own ministrations, Link's felt like bliss. He hit the exact right spots, and whatever was being squeezed in there apparently moved out of the way, quickly clearing up pain.

"Is that better?" asked Link, smiling gently at Sheik. His eyes were filled with concern, and he kept massaging Sheik's ankle.

Against his better judgment, Sheik pulled the Hero down to his level and kissed him. When Link pulled away, Sheik smiled, feeling foolish. "I don't think I can keep my vow," he whispered.

"Then don't," said Link and leaned in for another kiss.

It was cut short, however, by a sound further ahead in the tunnel. A rhythmic tapping…footsteps. The Hero was on his feet immediately, Master Sword in hand. He helped Sheik up, who drew his own sword. Link stepped on the torch, killing the flame, leaving the pair in pitch black darkness. It didn't do much good, as the orange light of another torch appeared further ahead.

Someone…or something, was mumbling to themselves as it approached. Link and Sheik both pressed up against the walls, trying to blend in. It was easy for Link, his robe was the same colour as the stone by now, but Sheik's exoskeleton shone in the approaching light. He looked at Link, who nodded at him. The light was coming around the bend now, and both warriors prepared to charge with all they had, injured ankles be damned!

Their swords fell in unison, the warriors expecting the blades to neatly slice through whatever was coming. Instead, a pair of loud clangs were heard as another pair of swords collided with the Master Sword and Kazuya.

Ayla laughed. "I should've expected a welcome like this."

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 23**

"What the hell are you doing here?" exclaimed Link as he put away the Master Sword.

Ayla glared at him and put her swords back in their scabbards. "'what the hell are you doing here'? What kind of way is that to greet a friend?" She looked at Sheik. "You look awful, what happened?"

"A minor misstep," said Sheik. He was suspicious. How did Ayla know they were down here?

"Ah, I see," said Ayla. "Anyway, Aveil sent me after you to make sure you didn't get lost…which you obviously did judging by your very presence down here."

"Why is that?" asked Link.

"Because there are only two entrances to this tunnel, and the one you came through must have been in the old watchtower, which is in the complete opposite direction of where you're supposed to go. Really, Hero of Time, is it _that_ hard to follow a series of poles?"

"We were distracted," said Sheik, defending Link. "We were…taken quite off course."

"Is that so?" asked Ayla. "And what could possibly distract a great Sheikah warrior and the Hero of Time?" The snide tone was completely mismatched with the respect she had shown the pair back at the fortress.

"Oh, I don't know…does Sheik almost getting eaten by a Wyrm count?" asked Link, standing next to the Sheikah. "He almost died, you know."

Ayla narrowed her eyes. "A Wyrm? In the desert? Don't be ridiculous, they've been dead for centuries. Our ancestors hunted and killed them all."

"Except that one, it seems," said Sheik. "But it's gone now. Hopefully, it was the last of its kind in this particular region."

"We think Ganondorf brought it back to life," added Link. "He did the same with an ancient dragon at Death Mountain."

"This dragon would be the legendary Volvagia?" Ayla said. At their nods, she shook her head. "I truly hope that was the only Wyrm that was resurrected. The clan cannot take the responsibility of hunting down an entire brood of the damnable things. In fact, the only reason we were able to defeat them in the first place was the help we got from your ancestors," she said and pointed at Sheik. "They taught us how to lure them out of hiding and striking them down."

"There were no such tactics yesterday," muttered Sheik.

"A bomb seemed to the trick just fine," said Link proudly. "I've yet to meet a creature that doesn't swallow a bomb if it's smaller than itself."

"And by that you refer to King Dodongo, the monstrous lizard also native to Death Mountain?" said Ayla. At Link's nod, she sighed and shook her head. "That is your tactic against any creature bigger than yourself, then? Throw a bomb at it and hope it is too stupid not to eat it?"

"…it does sound less impressive when you put it that way, doesn't it?" said Sheik and chuckled.

"And he is the hope of Hyrule, is he?" said Ayla. They shared a smile and subsequently erupted in laughter.

Link crossed his arms and snorted. "I'd like to see you come up with a better plan when you're about to be grilled by the biggest lizard in the world…" When neither of the other two stopped laughing, Link grumbled and started walking in the direction Ayla had come from. "Ganging up on me is so unfair!"

"So, this is the fort we were really looking for?" asked Sheik as Ayla ushered them into the antechamber. It wasn't as much a fort as it was a hole in the ground that had been walled in with stone. A ladder at one end of the circular room led to the open desert, judging by the sand that was raining down there.

"It's not really a fort," Ayla explained. "It's more of a…rest stop. A place to seek shelter from the harsh climate. As you can see, it is far from equipped to deal with an army…there is barely room for ten people down here anyway."

"Better than nothing," said Link and slung his pack onto a solitary table that creaked ominously under the weight of the pack. "I need a break."

"Hero…have you slept at all since yesterday?" asked Sheik. He knew _he_ had fallen asleep after the fire had gone out, but was quite uncertain about Link.

"I caught a light nap after the fire went out, but that was it, I think," said the Hero and slung himself into an old, rickety chair…which fell apart barely a second after Link seated himself. He cursed loudly and rubbed his behind. "I hate this place already."

"Good thing you won't have to stay for too long, then," said Ayla. "When I arrived, the storm was dying down. It's actually possible to see your hand if you hold it in front of you now. And speaking of the storm, why aren't you wearing your robe?" she asked Sheik.

"Eaten by the Wyrm," said Link before the Sheikah could answer.

"Good thing I brought this, then," she said and pulled out a robe identical to the one she was wearing. "It's designed for women, but I guess you won't have too much trouble wearing it," she said and handed to Sheik, who took it apprehensively.

"Was that a thinly veiled insult to my stature?" he asked and tried the robe on. He refused to go out into the storm without some measure of protection.

"Depends on how you interpret it," said Ayla innocently.

_**I like this one, she's got charisma,**_ said Speil.

_Will you shut up?_ Sheik said firmly in his mind. _The last thing I need on top of all this trouble is you commenting on my life!_

_**Too bad I'm here to stay from now on, then,**_ the Shadow said snidely. _**It is much easier spying on you two from inside your head than from a distance in my corporeal form.**_

"Is something wrong?" asked Ayla. She had noticed the annoyed expression on Sheik's face. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"My head hurts," he lied. "I need some water. Hero?" When no answer came, Sheik turned around and saw the pile that was the sleeping Link.

"Looks like someone was a bit more tired than they cared to admit," said Ayla and started climbing the ladder. "I'm heading out to scout for a bit. There was an unusual amount of Leevers out and about."

"Be careful!" Sheik called out after her. "There might be more Wyrms out there scaring them off!"

"Of course!" she shouted back. "I'll be back in twenty minutes!"

When the sounds of her climbing disappeared, Sheik went to Link's pack and helped himself to a water bottle and more red potion. The ankle was still making its presence known (and felt) by giving a vicious throb every now and then.

_**She knows I'm here…interesting,**_ Speil said. His statement surprised poor Sheik so much that he choked on the mouthful of water.

"W-what?!" he coughed.

_**You heard me, pet. She knows I'm in your head. Whether she knows **_**what**_** I am remains to be seen.**_

_But how? She doesn't have a magical aura, how can she possibly read my mind?_

_**She's not reading your mind, silly boy,**_ Speil lambasted. _**She can sense another presence inside you. My presence, to be exact.**_

_Then why didn't she say anything before? You were with me back then—_

_**Not when you first met or fought, not even during the banquet…I was…hunting in the mountains at the time.**_ After a brief moment of silence, Speil added: _**If her knowledge of my existence proves to be a…liability, I might just have to do something about her…**_

_You will leave her alone, you hear me?_ Sheik mentally shouted. The only reply he got was Speil's rapidly fading laughter. _Bastard!_

He sank down in the second chair, which did not break under his weight like Link's had, and buried his face in his hands. Why did everything bad have to happen at the same time? First Speil decides to stay in his head permanently, and now he was considering killing Ayla.

And what's worse, he was starting to…appreciate the Hero's dark side's presence. This was the thing that was truly scaring him. Speil treated him like dirt, like a possession.

_Like a pet,_ he thought bitterly as he felt the mark the shadow had left on his neck. Everything had changed so quickly. One moment he was happily accompanying his lover on his quest to save the world, in the next he was fighting off a lecherous, twisted version of said lover, whom he was also presently in a semi-argument with.

Link shifted in his sleep, propping himself up against the wall. Sheik suddenly had an urge to crawl up beside the Hero, to just let the oblivion of sleep claim him for a while. Everything had to be sorted out sooner or later, but Sheik didn't want that time to stall any longer.

_Should I just tell him that Speil—his Shadow—isn't dead? He will be angry, that's for sure. And if I _do_ decide to tell him, how much should I reveal? Everything, including the fact that he has…_ he shuddered when he thought about it… _claimed me as his own?_

That was what his thoughts mainly revolved around as he waited for Ayla to come back. For a second, he thought that Speil had decided to act upon his threat, but Ayla had yet to show any hostility, and, strangely enough, he had not seemed particularly…serious, when he had said it. But the doubt kept nibbling at the back of his mind, and he was just about to climb up the ladder when the cloaked Gerudo warrior appeared in the doorway. She shook her head and removed the cloth covering her face.

"It's more or less clear outside now," she said. "Leevers are gone, and I there seems to be a clear passage to the Colossus…if you look away from the pools of quicksand, but I'm sure you can distinguish them from regular sand." She glanced at Link as she pulled down her hood, letting her hair loose. "Did he end up like that by himself?" she asked, referring to the cramped position the Hero was lying in.

"Yes," replied Sheik. "He is not a calm sleeper." He looked at her closely. "Are you coming with us?" he asked.

"Coming with you? Where?" she asked back.

"To the Colossus."

"Oh, heavens no," she said, shaking her head. "It's forbidden for anyone but the clan leader to approach the Desert Goddess."

"Then how come we're given a passage there?"

"I am sure there are special exceptions, especially for legendary heroes," she said. "Besides, you're honorary members of the clan, there are probably some perks to that."

It was disappointing to know that the capable woman would not be joining them. Sheik knew little about the desert other than basic survival skills, and even they helped very little in practical situations. Ayla must have noticed his mood, and smiled.

"There's no need to worry. It's not far to the Colossus. Most of the sand that's been shifted has been carried away, so it'll be easier than usual to walk there. In fact, I picked up the remaining trail of poles just half a mile from here. Follow that, and it'll take you directly to the Colossus." She patted him on his shoulder. "But you're not really worried about your passage there, are you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Sheik and turned away, rummaging around in his pack to seem busy. His lyre almost fell out. Had it hit the floor, it would surely have been broken.

"Come on, kid," said Ayla. "Your eyes hide nothing from me."

_Kid? Yesterday…or was it the day before? Anyway, she called me "sama" the other day._

"You're worried about the Hero, aren't you?" Ayla said and glanced back to Link. "And not about his physical well-being either."

Giving up, Sheik sighed and slid down in his chair again. "How did you know?"

Ayla put a hand on her hip. "Other than the fact that I can read you like an open book, which is quite a change from when you left?" she asked. "Not much, but you two seem very tense around each other. You've got a story to tell, and I am sure it has something to do with whatever is sharing your headspace."

_Shit._

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 24**

For the umpteenth time that day, Sheik had to grab hold of Link's robe in order to stop him from wandering right into a pool of quicksand. How the Hero was unable to see the rapidly moving sand was a mystery to the Sheikah, but he didn't hate it. Mostly because Link insisted on hugging him every time, thanking him for saving his life. The Hero also managed to sneak in a few kisses here and there, which wasn't a problem for Sheik.

Ayla had been right, the marker poles the Gerudo had set up many years ago were still easily seen, and they stretched off for quite a way, indicating that the sandstorm had not wreaked as much havoc as they had thought.

The Sheikah couldn't thank Ayla enough for bringing him another robe. The air in front of them was waving hazily, and not even carrion birds were willing to follow them in the heat. Their water supply was running low, though, despite having received another batch of bottles from Ayla. But she _had _said that the Colossus, the Spirit Temple, was not far away when they parted ways.

Link was not dealing with the desert very well. Having lived in the Kokiri Forest for most of his life, he had become adjusted to a temperate climate, with an abundance of cooling winds and a ready source of water almost everywhere. But here, where the only moisture to be found was the sweat on in their faces, the Hero was struggling. Sheik too felt maladjusted to the wasteland, but not to the same degree.

"Sheik…I need to sit down for a bit," said Link desperately. He was panting hard, and his eyes were filled with the same despair only a man thirsting to death could display.

"Of course," said Sheik and helped Link to a nearby rock. The wind had died down considerably now, and they could see quite far now. Sheik predicted that it would clear up completely in an hour's time. As far as he could see now, though, was that they only had one big dune left to cross, after which Ayla had said it was mostly clear sailing to the Colossus. The Sheikah joined the Hero of Time on the rock, staring at the vast desert. Link had pulled down his hood and was lightly splashing his face with a bit of water. Sheik frowned at the waste of water, but he couldn't bare depriving Link of the relief, no matter how useless it would be in the end.

Of course, the Hero's plight was not all out of his control. Link had, while they were packing up and getting ready to continue, insisted on carrying most of the heavy things, including the tent and most of their weapons. When Sheik had protested, Link had snorted and started climbing the ladder, only to lose his grip and fall right on his bottom, a sight both Sheik and Ayla had taken great pleasure in seeing.

Sheik took the offered water bottle from Link and took a small sip. They had to conserve whatever liquid they had.

"It's…kind of beautiful, don't you think?" asked Link suddenly, making Sheik look at him with confusion.

"Beautiful?" he asked. "That's a bit strange coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were raised in a forest…I thought you'd be pining for the Kokiri Forest right now."

"I kinda am, actually…but I like seeing new places. Let's face it; trees get incredibly dull when you're surrounded by them all the time."

Sheik blinked. "I wouldn't exactly call this place a barrel of fun, either. There's nothing even remotely alive here."

"But it's still…I can't explain it," Link said with a huff. "It's just beautiful, okay?"

"Okay," Sheik repeated. He couldn't quite see the charm in the lifeless, scorching desert, but to each his own, he supposed. A comfortable silence fell over them, each enjoying the other's company. It was moments like these that Sheik enjoyed the most. It allowed him time to reflect on things. And the comforting presence of the Hero let him relax.

There was another thing about these silences he enjoyed, he realised. Speil had been oddly quiet ever since their talk inside the fort. He had not even surfaced to sound let his outrage be known after his conversation with Ayla. It had been hard, telling her everything…

"So what you are saying is that you are unwillingly playing host to the Hero of Time's dark, evil twin?" Ayla asked after Sheik had finished his story. "And that he claims ownership over you, and plans to kill the Hero?"

"That's the gist of it, yes," Sheik replied. "But here's the strange thing about it all: when I first met the Shadow in the temple under Lake Hylia, he was reduced to the most basic of being, a mere shadow, and a murderous one at that. But every time I have spoken with him, he seems to have…changed, somewhat. His intelligence is increasing, and his language and grammar is improving."

"So he's…developing?" she asked. "Evolving?"

"In the lack of a better word, yes. Also, he is becoming more…friendly. He leaves me mostly alone as long as I don't attack him."

"But you said he basically violates you every time you sleep!" exclaimed Ayla. "How is that even remotely friendly?"

"He hasn't violated me yet," said Sheik. "At least, not like _that_. I don't think he wants to do it…not yet, at least."

They both fell silent. Ayla seemed to be thinking hard, her eyes rolling around every now and then. She was biting her lips as well. Sheik was doing something he only did when extremely preoccupied while thinking, which was twiddling his thumbs. He really couldn't think of anything else to say. Speil was, by definition, an evil creature created by the Water Temple to test the Hero of Time, but he was developing a personality that was quite…approachable. And then there was the matter of his hopeful-sounding voice when he had wanted to explain what he was to Sheik in his last dream.

"Is he here now?" asked Ayla, snapping the Sheikah out of his reverie. "Is he listening to us?"

"I'm not sure," said Sheik. "He could be. He has started commenting on whatever is going on lately, but he hasn't spoken to me in a while. I think he may be sleeping, or lying dormant."

"Good, then he hopefully won't take offence to what I'm about to say," said Ayla and grabbed Sheik's shoulders. "You need to get rid of that thing at once," she said gravely. "Demonic possessions, charming or not, is dangerous. For all you know, he may be planning to take over your body, especially if you consider the way he talks about making you his."

That thought had never occurred to Sheik, and he looked worried over at Link. "He could possess me and force me to stab Link in his sleep…" he said slowly.

"Among…other things, yes," agreed Ayla. "You said he left a mark upon you. Let me see it."

Sheik obeyed, pushing aside his cowl, revealing the bite mark left by Speil. She studied it for a bit, prodding and brushing it. He hissed when she hit a particularly tender spot.

"How long has it been there?" Ayla asked.

"A couple of weeks, I think. I can't remember exactly when he gave it to me." It was true, too. He couldn't remember when exactly he had gone back to the Water Temple and been thoroughly beaten by Speil in his corporeal form.

"I think this is what he uses to enter your mind," she said, laying her hand over the mark. "It's still raw and tender. Either you've got one hell of an infection under that scar, or the shadow irritates it every time he leaves and enters you." She blushed a few seconds afterwards, realising what she had just said. "Uh, I didn't mean it_that_ way…"

"I'm sure you didn't," said Sheik with a huff. He pulled his cowl back up. "Is there anything I should do?" He knew the Gerudo elders were quite proficient with magic, although he had not seen any of these at the fortress.

"Had Kotake and Koume still been around, they might have been able to exorcise the shadow. Unfortunately, they are missing," answered Ayla. She sighed. "Everything is falling apart back at the fortress, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"There is talk of open rebellion against Aveil, her detractors claiming that she does not have the clan's best interests in mind anymore. And I suspect her honouring and making an alliance with you was the drop that spilled the cup. The things I heard when I was preparing to leave for the desert…"

"I'm sorry," said Sheik. He hadn't realised just how much trouble his presence at the fortress could possibly cause. "I guess bad blood is hard to get rid of."

"Indeed," said Ayla. "That is the biggest reason I cannot come with you to the Colossus."

"I thought you said you were forbidden from going there?"

"I am, but I rarely play by the rules, Sheik-sama," she said and grinned. It fell right after. "If things get out of hand back at the fortress, I must be by Aveil's side to protect her. We cannot risk a civil war now, not when we are making plans to separate ourselves from Ganondorf."

"You what?"

This was unheard of. The Gerudo openly rebelling against their king? There had not been a single case in the entire Gerudo history of something similar happening.

"He is not what we look for in a king," said Ayla and grinned. "We are…deposing him."

"Then who will take the throne?"

"Nabooru, of course! She is the only one who can. Which is why it is so important for us that you bring her back to the fortress after conquering the temple. We need her as a figurehead when we declare our independence!"

It had been an interesting day for both parties involved in the conversation. Link had started waking up after Ayla revealed the Gerudo's plans, and nothing more had been said between the two. But Ayla had winked at him when they parted ways, telling him in her own way that his secret was safe with her.

It had been comforting to finally get the burden off his chest, to have someone else but him be aware of Speil's existence. He never had the time to ask her his most pressing and crucial question, though. "Should I tell him?"

A sound to his left caught his attention, and he saw that Link was preparing to move on. Sheik stood up, hefting his pack over his shoulder. Then he grabbed Link's outstretched hand and helped the Hero onto his feet.

"We'll soon be there," he said, nodding at Link.

Link smiled. "We'd better be…or I'll melt."

"Please don't," said Sheik and started walking, his hand still clasped with Link's. "I prefer my boyfriend to be solid."

It was a ridiculous joke, but they both enjoyed a hearty laugh.

"It's a carpet."

"Yes, Link, it is."

"In the desert."

"Indeed."

"_Floating_."

"That it does." Feeling that they had had a conversation just like this some time before, Sheik derailed it. "Over a quicksand-hole. And there's no occupant. There is only one logical conclusion to draw, is there not?" He looked at Link.

"They fell," said the Hero simply. Sheik nodded.

"That is the most likely case."

"And there's nothing we can do for them," said Link.

"No, there is not." Sheik looked at the floating carpet for a few seconds. If he knew what kind of magic controlled it, then perhaps—

_No, no, no! I will _not_ try to control a magical carpet in the middle of a bloody desert!_

Why the idea had even occurred to him was something he did not wish to know. He bowed his head respectfully to the carpet and dragged Link along.

When they had disappeared over the nearby dune, a long-haired man materialised on the carpet, his face obscured by his long, brown tresses. Only his nose peeked out from the curtain that was his hair.

"A Sheikah…how interesting. The sisters will be interested to know about this…"

The sun was beginning to set now, and the temperature was rapidly dropping. It did not dampen their spirits, though, for Sheik had spotted something as they came over the largest dune so far. An outline further ahead. There were few mountains in the _actual_ Gerudo Desert, and they had been following the poles the entire way.

"I believe that is the Colossus," he told Link and pointed at the peak in the distance. It was not a tall one.

"Finally," said Link, sweat pouring from his forehead. "I don't think I would've been able to walk much farther."

"At least not without some sort of gratification, I think," replied Sheik. He too had slowly started to lose patience with the nothingness that was the environment in the desert. The heat didn't help much either.

Link straightened up from the slouch he had assumed as they walked, his shield glinting in the dying sunlight. "I think…we'll have a race."

Sheik looked at the Hero. "In your condition? I'd win just by standing still."

"You're on," said Link and took off, running across the dune with renewed vigour. Smiling, Sheik followed him, easily catching up with the Hero and, with a grin in Link's direction, ran past him.

Link shouted after him. "Hey, my pack is heavier!"

At the top of the large dune, a tiny light was flickering in and out of existence.

**"Hee-he-he-he-he…"**

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 25**

He had been told stories of this place, an ancient temple where the Gerudo once worshipped the heathen goddess, whose name was no longer allowed to be spoken. Sheik had done his best to find her name out, but all effort had been in vain. It was as if her name had simply been stricken from history, the only evidence of her "existence" being the gigantic mountain carved in her likeness and the Gerudo's fierce protection of the place.

The stories truly could not compare to seeing the place with his own eyes, Sheik decided. He and Link were standing some distance away from the entrance, looking at the Colossus' face. She looked oddly benevolent; quite a contrast to what the stories had depicted her as. Years upon years of sandstorms had, of course, withered away the once solid stone and removed quite a large part of her face, but there was still a distinctive quirk in her lips.

They were both panting. Link had done his best to catch up with Sheik, but had to yield to the younger boy's speed, agility and the fact that he was not carrying the heavy pack containing most of their equipment and supplies. Upon stopping, Sheik had turned around and given Link a smug smile, which the Hero had scowled at and then continued to trudge past Sheik, stopping in front of a miniature oasis.

It was amazing how clear the water was, and its sheer presence in this particular area of the desert tipped Sheik off about the inherent magical qualities the Colossus possessed. None of the sand at the bottom of the pond swirled up when their hands brushed against it, and the water itself was exactly like the water you could find at the top of a glacier.

Just to be sure, they refilled their empty bottles with the sparkling water. Magic was highly unpredictable unless wielded by someone who had studied it for years (The Hero of Time was, naturally, an exception. Sheik found it highly unfair), and this oasis could very well disappear in thin air the next day. Ironically, the water in their bottles would probably evaporate as well, but it was worth a shot, Link had decided.

The sun was dipping below the horizon now, and already the temperature was falling quite fast. Redoing his ponytail, Sheik looked at Link's pack, which the Hero had dropped noisily on the sand.

"We should probably set up the tent," said Sheik. "And make a start on the temple tomorrow."

Link nodded. "Yeah. There's no way I'm going in there—"he jerked a thumb at the Colossus"—tonight."

"We," said Sheik. "'We' aren't going in there tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," said Link and pulled out the heavy cloth. It was hard to identify the fabric. It seemed to be similar to Sheik's exoskeleton, but much coarser and sturdier, if that was even possible. The setting up was something neither of the boys ever wanted to do again. Link, having grown accustomed to sleeping underneath the stars by a fire, had never had any experience with setting up a tent, and Sheik, while having shared quite a few tents with the princess' soldiers now and then, had never taken part in the actual construction.

The biggest problem was the pegs. The sand around the oasis was the kind that was especially dry, which was just a plain oxymoron according to Sheik considering the amount of moisture barely a couple of feet away. In any case, the pegs had difficulty in finding grip in the brittle sand. It wasn't until Link suggested pouring water on the places they wanted to pegs to go that they actually made somewhat progress.

"It's just a temporary measure, though," said Sheik, but smiled as the peg finally stayed where it was supposed to after he rammed it into the ground. "The sand will dry again, and then the pegs will loosen."

"Hopefully, by the time the sand dries, we'll be long gone," replied Link. He rammed the final peg home and adjusted it so the line was completely rigid. He seemed to remember something and turned to Sheik with a grave expression previously unseen on the young warrior's face. "I am not _walking_ backthrough the desert when we leave, you hear me?"

Surprised, and just a bit frightened by the smouldering look, Sheik nodded. "Do not worry. We will teleport." Then something flashed across his memory.

_The song…I need to find the song!_ he thought. He looked around, trying to find the dais every temple possessed. He turned to Link. "We need to find the teleport spot."

Link looked confused. "Can't that wait until tomorrow? It's not like we're gonna use it…"

"Perhaps not, but I still need to find the song and teach it to you," said Sheik and drew his lyre from his pack. "It's…necessary."

Link sighed and nodded, picking up his sword and shield. "Let's find it, then. Though I think it's kind of strange that _you're_ going to _teach_ _me_ a song not even _you know_."

Sheik blinked. There had been a lot of emphasising in that sentence, and the tone had not been particularly friendly.

_He's tired from the journey,_ he reminded himself. _And so are you, don't let it get to you._ He smiled gently at Link. "Well, I'm the only one who can read notes, ne?"

"I can read _some_ of them," said Link. "Saria taught me…that's how I was able to learn The Sun's Song."

"Then how about we see who can learn it first? And whoever wins can teach the other?" Sheik suggested. He was feeling a bit giddy.

He suspected it was the magical ambience that was cheering him up. Back in Kakariko, the Shadow Temple had always leaked traces of magic, which often manifested in sudden mood swings in the people who lived there. Contradictory enough, most of these mood swings were toward the happier end of the emotional spectrum, and people paid them no heed anymore. But Sheik had been away from Kakariko for a long time, and just the feeling of a strong magical presence was comforting.

Link seemed to take quite well to the idea and smiled. "Another competition, eh? Trying to give your lover another chance to prove his mettle and manliness?"

"I wouldn't call a musical competition especially manly, but yes, that is what I'm attempting," answered Sheik. He looked around at the open space in front of the Colossus. "Considering the storm, I suppose the dais has been buried in the sand. Let's just hope it's not buried too deep." And off they went.

Night had fallen by the time they found it, and the moon had risen high in the sky. The dais was a little ways to the right of the temple entrance. To say that they found it would be a lie. To say that Link tripped over it and fell on his face would be accurate. After a heavy bout of cursing, some of which Sheik was horrified to find that Link _knew_, the pair had uncovered the marble platform. The symbol of the Spirit Temple, three dots intersected by lines, glowed eerily in the moonlight.

"So…" said Link, rubbing his nose, which had gotten scraped in his encounter with the sand, "What now?"

Sheik felt around the stone. "Impa told me that the notes have been carved into the marble itself, close to the symbol." He found a nook, which felt suspiciously like a note, and then another. "I think I've got it," he said. "I need some more light, though."

"Not a problem," said Link. He held out a hand, and glowing ember appeared in his palm. He looked around for something he could use. Regrettable, the only thing that could be helpful at this time was a dry-looking palm tree. "Damn," he whispered and threw the ember at the palm, the dry plant quickly catching fire. It cast a red glow over the area. It was useful, but having been raised as a Kokiri, hurting trees was something he never wanted to do. Or could, for fear of being ostracised by the rest of the forest children…

"Thank you," said Sheik without looking up. He blew the remaining grains of sand out of the nooks, and there it was, the Requiem of Spirit, transcribed in the marble. "Hm…it's not very complex," he said and fingered the strings on his lyre. He was roughly pushed aside by an eager-looking Link, Ocarina of Time in hand. The Hero studied the notes for quite some time, blowing experimentally in the flute, trying to figure out how it went.

_He's cute when he's so focused,_ thought Sheik. He shook his head. _After the quest, _after_ the quest._

"Ah-hah!" exclaimed the Hero of Time and stood up triumphantly, holding the ocarina high. "I know how to play it now. How about you?"

Sheik couldn't bring himself to tell Link that he had learnt the song right after seeing the notes, being quite proficient at the musical art. He shook his head in what he hoped was a sad way.

"I am afraid not, Link." He held his lyre closer to his body. "Can you teach me?"

Link beamed. "Of course!"

_He's actually quite a good teacher,_ Sheik reflected as they headed back to the tent, paying the temple entrance no heed. They were having the evening off, and that was final. _Of course, it helps knowing the subject beforehand, but still…good teacher._

He smiled as he felt the Hero's fingers interlink with his. A faint breeze was blowing across the area, just faint enough to be noticeable, not strong enough to be annoying. But it _was_ cold, though.

The campsite was not a proper campsite unless it had a roaring fire, Link had decided, and as soon as the tent came into sight, began to gather anything flammable close by, except living plants. Sheik noticed that he kept a respectful distance to them.

_Must be something about being a Kokiri,_ he thought. While Link gathered firewood, he decided to organise their packs and get everything inside the tent before anything was stolen by mischievous desert creatures. He knew for a fact that there were foxes nearby, as he had seen a pair of ears appearing over a dune, and he would not stand for theft by the furry little animals.

The tent was, in his opinion, far bigger than they needed it to be. It was clearly designed for at least eight to ten occupants, and the space inside was enormous. The packs barely occupied a small portion of a corner, for the goddesses' sake! But still, it _had_ been useful when they were camping out in the old watchtower, so Sheik was grateful for it. But there was a bit of a problem. The floor was still the sandy ground, and neither of them had thought of taking futons with them. At worst, they could use their cloaks for mattresses, but then they would have nothing to protect themselves from the cold.

Sheik voiced this concern to Link, who had gotten a surprisingly large fire going. The Hero looked deep in thought for a second, and had then smiled at Sheik in the way someone with a secret usually did. He said nothing, but kept that little smile on his face all evening as the two sat and ate another broth, courtesy of Sheik's extraordinary culinary skills. Sipping at the flavoured water, Sheik looked suspiciously at the Hero.

_He's not thinking about…is he?_

_**What do you think, pet?**_

Sheik was barely able to keep the groan back. The bite mark had started to itch as he had stuffed their packs into the tent, but had ignored it in the hope that Speil had been leaving, not coming back.

_Where have you been? Out killing someone?_

_**And there we have it again. Just because I am a creature created specifically to kill someone, you think that I cannot control myself. I would like you to stop that, pet. And you need not worry about the Gerudo female…she is unharmed.**_

_She had better be, or else—_

_**Or else what? You will 'end' me, as you so theatrically told me when we first met? I amused myself endlessly with that line as I slowly drank the fairy's blood, and—**_

_SHUT UP!_ Sheik mentally shouted, dropping his bowl in the process. The broth spilled out on the sand, where it was quickly swallowed up by the grains. The pieces of meat and vegetables, although unharmed, were covered in sand and now inedible.

Link's hand was on his immediately, and the Sheikah looked up into the worried gaze of the Hero.

"Is something wrong?"

_**Think fast, pet…**_ said Speil and chuckled, his voice fading away.

"Eh…ankle twitched," Sheik lied, feeling absolutely pathetic. He, a trained spy, a master of deception and subterfuge, unable to keep an "Eh" out of his lies.

"Let me see," said Link and started to unroll the bandage around Sheik's ankle. The Sheikah sighed as the still tender area was slowly massaged by Link.

All things considered, excluding the malevolent spirit in his head, Sheik was enjoying himself immensely.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 26**

"That's the last time I pitch a tent with the opening facing the sun," grumbled Link as he stretched his back. He shivered slightly as a small breeze came through the opening. The night had been cold, very cold. If he had to compare it to a similar experience, the ice cavern was the prime candidate…only he didn't have to spend a night in the frozen cave.

Sheik was standing outside, enjoying the sunrise. Unlike Link, he had been awake for over an hour already. And it was just as well. The position he had found himself in when he woke up, while very comfortable and warming, was not something he was supposed to do.

_What did the villagers call it again? …ah, yes. Spooning._

It _had_ been hard to extract himself from Link's embrace, but nature had also made a call, and there are just some calls you don't ignore or put on a waiting list.

The desert, while a hellish wasteland during the day and a frozen tundra at night, was absolutely stunning at dawn. The rising sun's rays were reflected in the dew from the night, and mirages were slowly starting to form, a phenomenon Sheik had never seen before. He had always assumed that mirages were just…there.

He smiled when Link hugged him from behind, apparently trying to continue the cuddle from the night. He leaned slightly back into the embrace, wondering why he had even thought he could resist being around the Hero.

"Sleep well?" he asked the Hero, who snorted.

"Cold," was the short reply.

"Must be why you so desperately curled around me, then."

"That, and the fact that you look adorable when you're asleep."

"Hm."

They stood like this for a while, neither of them wanting to let go and begin the arduous task that awaited them. Light was creeping up the Colossus, and the entrance to the temple inside was mocking them, Sheik was sure of it.

To his surprise, as he was usually the one to focus, Link was the first to sigh heavily and step away. The Sheikah looked at him with an inquisitive glance.

"I just want to get this over with as soon as possible," the Hero explained and started to buckle on his sword and shield. "This is the last temple, and after this we can put an end to this madness."

_He…seems so mature these days…_ Sheik thought. _A clear change from the boy I met in the Temple of Time so many months ago._ The Sheikah, while appreciative of the shift in Link's priorities, kind of missed the boyish outbursts and general behaviour. He had been so…optimistic.

Sheik nodded to Link and started gathering his weapons and items. Kazuya had become a comfortable weight on his back now, and he was starting to feel so very unarmed unless the sword was in reach. Of course, the multiple daggers hidden in his bandages were still very potent against most foes, but there was just something about the inherited blade that… He couldn't even explain it to himself.

He redid his turban, much to Link's chagrin. "The ponytail will just be in the way," Sheik explained as he finished it and tightened its hold on his hair. "I don't want it to smack into my face when we fight."

Link smiled as he surely imagined it happening. "Yeah, that would be kind of annoying, wouldn't it?"

"Annoying?" asked Sheik. "It could get me killed."

"Fair enough," said Link and went through his pack, finding his bow and arrows along with the Longshot. The bow was flung across his back, and the quiver hung on his left side, which Sheik found odd until he remembered that Link was left-handed. That was a fact Sheik had never been able to memorise, strangely enough.

_It doesn't really matter as long as he's capable of using his tools,_ he thought. He found another errant dagger and shoved it between two lengths of bandage on his wrist, close to the exoskeleton's sleeve. He looked long and hard at the lyre, trying to figure whether or not it would be a wise idea to bring it along. It could be used to teleport them out in case of trouble, but so could the Ocarina of Time, and Link did not know how to play the lyre while Sheik knew how to play the flute… He regretfully put the lyre back in his pack and put the pack into the tent.

"I'll be back for you," he said quietly. The instrument had no real value as it was really a simple construction, but Impa had given it to him when he had finished his training, and he had taken really good care of it ever after.

Stepping outside, Link turned to him now fully equipped. The pockets of his tunic bulged from the many devices and weapons he had put in there. Sheik still liked him better without that ridiculous cap.

"Ready?" asked the Hero.

Sheik nodded in confirmation. "As I'll ever be, I suppose." He turned to look at the Colossus. "There is _one_ thing that still worries me, however."

"Which is?"

"Where is Nabooru?" He looked back at Link. "Surely she would have noticed us combing the area for the dais and chased us away, given the inherent holiness of this place. But she didn't. Which makes me think—"

"That she's in trouble," finished Link and nodded. "I was thinking the same, actually. So, I guess we have a Gerudo princess to save, then."

"Indeed," agreed Sheik.

The walk to the temple entrance was slow. So far, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary around the Colossus, which was different from all the other temples. Moblins had infested the Lost Woods. Volvagia had awoken and imprisoned every Goron she could find and made the smoke ring around Death Mountain glow eerily. Lake Hylia had been drained of all water and the creatures had gone wild. Bongo-Bongo had escaped from the well in Kakariko and caused havoc around the village. Yet here, not a single suspicious thing had happened. Apart from the missing Nabooru, of course.

It made them both apprehensive, and none of them could shake off the feeling that someone was watching them.

The tension was broken, thankfully, by something moving underneath the sand in front of them, very much like the Wyrm had done a few days ago. Link was not prepared to take any chances this time, and let loose an arrow against the moving mound. There was a high-pitched shriek, but no gigantic worm to see, nor any tentacles. Instead, another six mounds appeared, and were now moving toward the pair with alarming speed.

The first of the mounds reached Link, and the mound exploded in flying sand as something green revealed itself, spinning around with sharp teeth quickly trying to bite the Hero's leg. Unexpectedly, Link did not draw his sword or another arrow. Instead, he pulled his right leg a little back, and _punted_ the leever all the way back to the entrance to the temple. Had Sheik been less trained to handle surprises and ambushes, his jaw would have fallen open at the Hero's display of athletic prowess. Leevers, while not very large creatures, weighed quite a lot because of the extreme muscle power they required to spin around in the sand. The creature's feeble legs kicked in the air as it tried to right itself, an act of futility considering it had landed on solid stone.

The other leevers took no notice of this, apparently, and kept coming. Now Link drew his sword and shield, assuming his normal fighting stance, shield front and sword pointed behind him, ready to slice or stab. The leevers all targeted him, it seemed, and Sheik briefly wondered if they were all magically compelled to attack the chosen of the goddesses. Not that it mattered, since Link easily sliced them apart, one by one.

As the last leever's head hit the sand, the Master Sword was already halfway back in its scabbard. He looked at Sheik, noting the bemused expression on the Sheikah's face.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Sheik. "It's just that they were all after you. Leevers _do _attack en masse if their prey is alone, but are intelligent enough to fan out a bit if there is an additional threat."

"Maybe they just didn't consider you a threat," said Link and grinned. Sheik narrowed his eyes, and Link waved his arms. "I was kidding, _kidding_! I know what you mean. You think someone's controlling them."

"Or influencing them, at the very least," said Sheik. "Had someone been in direct control, they surely would have used a more clever strategy than 'Charge Straight at the Chosen One'." He noticed Link's shiver. "What's wrong?"

"I don't like that title," explained Link. "It's even worse than 'Hero of Time'."

"You will have to get used to them eventually," said Sheik. "When you defeat Ganondorf, all of Hyrule will hail you as such."

Link's snorted and laid an arm across the Sheikah's shoulders. "You mean that when _we_ defeat Ganondorf, _we_will be hailed as such. I'm not gonna suffer alone."

_Touching, but foolish,_ Sheik thought. _Hyrule will not accept that a filthy Sheikah helped the Hero of Time, except Kakariko, of course._

He slowly pulled the arm away from him. "I won't be hailed, Hero, for I do not exist. Nor do I wish to be." He pulled his cowl up, once again obscuring his face from the world. Only his ruby eyes were allowed to be seen. "I am a Sheikah, I am but a shadow in the background." Link opened his mouth to say something, surely a protest of some sort, but Sheik silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Nothing you say or do will ever change that, Link, so there is no need to argue."

Defeated, Link started to trudge to the entrance, Sheik following.

"Fine," said the Hero.

_Damn…I just offended him, didn't I?_

He stopped Link and turned him around so they were face to face. "You must understand that Hyrule will never accept that I aided you in your quest."

Link's eyes widened. "What? Why not?"

"Surely you heard the inhabitants of Castle Town speaking ill of the Sheikah when you were there seven years ago?" Sheik said. "They were uneasy around Impa, but when I was announced as the newest protector of the Royal Family a couple of weeks before you arrived, the town nearly went into hysterics."

"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Link. "Why would they possibly do that?"

"Because they thought Impa was the last of the Sheikah," Sheik explained. "Hylians have always been sceptical to us, despite the fact that we have protected their royal family for centuries. Perhaps they thought that they finally were going to be rid of us."

Link's jaw was clenching, and Sheik realised he had just made a fatal mistake by telling him of this.

"And they expect me to save them, despite them being prejudiced bastards?" he asked slowly.

"Not all of them," Sheik tried to explain. "The villagers in Kakariko don't think so, and I believe their views are affecting the refugees."

Link shook his head. "Not good enough."

Giving up, Sheik looked at the entrance to the temple. "Look, nothing I have revealed to you right now changes anything. Hyrule and all its races and civilizations are in dire need of the Hero of Time, and for you to abandon them just because some of them are distrustful of the Sheikah simply will not do. If it helps, keep thinking that you are not doing it for them, but all your friends and loved ones. The Kokiri, the Zora, the Gorons…"

Link looked Sheik deep in the eyes for a second, hard at thought. He then smiled gently. "Alright, then I'm doing it for you."

"There's something in the statue's hands," Link said as they were climbing the stairs to the entrance. The incapacitated leever was still shrieking at the top, and Sheik could not wait to put the creature out of its misery. The sound went through bone and marrow, and the stairs were not helping either.

"Where?" asked sheik, realising just seconds later how stupid the question was. He looked at the Colossus' hands saw that, indeed, there were objects in both palms. "Looks like chests," he said.

"I bet some stupid puzzle involves their contents," muttered Link as he absent-mindedly sliced the dying leever in half. Sheik noted this with worry.

While it was no secret that the Hero of Time would be forced to kill many creatures and enemies, it had always seemed to Sheik that Link was apprehensive to the idea of killing other living beings. But now he had just cut a leever in half without thinking.

_I must speak to him about this later,_ he thought and shuffled the worry to the back of his mind.

"Ready?" asked Link as they stood in front of the entrance. Torches lined the walls inside and gave a clear view of the first room. A small set of stairs to a large, empty platform.

"Ready," he confirmed, and they walked inside.

It was warm inside, probably because of the massive torches. Many pots and vases lined the walls before the small staircase, and two serpent-shaped tablets stood on both sides of the steps. Sheik could not read them and informed Link of this. The Hero couldn't care less, as he was not interested in the history of the temple and just wanted it to be over with.

They were just about to approach the stairs when two of the pots on either side of them were suddenly lifted into the air and thrown at them. Sheik sidestepped out of a pot's path while Link raised his shield, the pot smashing to bits against it.

"That's not a very good sign, is it?" Link asked.

"Not if you were expecting a friendly welcome," said Sheik and climbed the stairs, looking around at the large platform at the top. There was a large, silvery block of stone blocking of the path to the right, and to the left…

"I can't fit in there," said Link. "Even if I stripped naked!"

_Not a sight I wouldn't enjoy…_ Sheik thought. "Neither will I. It is too narrow for either of us."

It truly was small. The crawlspace had clearly been designed for something else than crawling around in. Now that Sheik looked at more closely, it seemed to be more of a drainage ditch than a crawlspace.

_Only a child could fit in there,_ he thought. _But where are we going to find a child around here, much less one who would be willing to brave whatever dangers there are on the other side?_

He noticed Link was gone and turned around. The Hero was currently trying to move the gigantic block. Without luck, too. He noticed Sheik's stare. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

The Sheikah did so, but even with their efforts combined, the block did not move an inch. It didn't even groan in protest from being pushed about.

They tried again and again, the block never yielding. Finally, in a fit of frustration, Link punched it. It wasn't an especially hard punch, but Sheik still heard the cracking sound as a finger clearly went out of joint. If that wasn't much of a hint, the screaming and cursing Link sure was.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?!" growled Link. They were sitting on the steps outside the entrance. Leevers were flocking around the lowest step, just waiting for one of them to come down. Link yelped as Sheik finally managed to get digit back in its place.

"I don't know, Hero," said Sheik. He was truly stumped. They could not move the block, and they could not fit in the crawlspace, and those were the only paths out of the main hall and further into the temple. "I truly don't know."

They both sat silent in thought, until Link's eyebrow rose slowly.

"Hey…what if I try—"

"You will not throw a bomb at the block," Sheik said sharply. "What if you destroy something vital on the other side?"

Link slumped dejectedly. "Fine."

_If only there was another way into temple…a back entrance, or something similar…_

Then an idea popped up. He looked at the Colossus' hands again. He then looked at the crumbling rock wall underneath them. Deep grooves littered the entire surface. He looked back to the hands.

"I can climb up there and see what is in the chests," he said slowly and stood up. He walked over to the wall, Link following closely after.

"Are you sure? Looks kinda…dangerous," said the Hero.

"It's either that, or sit around waiting for a miracle," said Sheik and felt around for points to start. He found one and put his foot inside. He tested his weight, trying to gauge whether or not the crumbling stone would support him. It did. He looked at Link. "I'll be right back."

It didn't take long to reach the right hand of the Colossus. It was as if the surface had been specially tailored and worn away to accommodate climbing on it. Sheik was sure that some kind of trap would spring any second as he made his way upwards. He swung himself onto the gigantic palm and looked around. A door was obscured by the cliff wall when you stood down on the ground, but Sheik saw it now. And then there was the chest.

He took a moment to check it for traps. There was no point in rushing, as Impa had hammered through his head day in and day out for years. Slowly opening the large, wooden chest, he narrowed his eyes in case something flew out of it. Nothing did. He opened it all the way and gazed down at the contents.

A pair of gauntlets, not very different from the ones Link was wearing, except the silver plates on the back of the hands. He lifted them and marvelled at their seemingly non-existent weight. He remembered the legend about these gauntlets. They allowed the wearer to lift many times their own weight.

"Link! Catch!" he called and dropped the gauntlets. These too could only be used by the Hero of Time.

Said Hero caught them, looked puzzled at them for a moment and then back up at Sheik. "What're these?!"

"Put them on!" Sheik called. "They'll make you much stronger, you can use them too move that block in—"

He was never able to finish the sentence, for a lightning bolt had suddenly materialised out of thin air and struck the hand Sheik was standing on, slicing off two of the massive fingers at the same time. Sheik ducked to avoid a second bolt, this one hitting the cliff wall, which immediately started to crack and crumble.

"**Got you, Sheikah! Hee-he-he-he-he!"** said an old, dry voice as yet another bolt shot toward Sheik. He had to think fast. He was a sitting duck where he stood, and he could feel the hand slowly giving away. He couldn't climb back down, nor could he jump. If the fall didn't kill him, then the assailant would.

_**The door, pet. That's the only way!**_ yelled Speil's voice suddenly, and for once Sheik couldn't find any faults with his suggestion. He looked down at Link, who had drawn his bow and were trying to find a target.

"Link! I'll meet you inside!" he yelled. The Hero nodded.

He darted inside the doorway, slamming the massive door behind him. Link ran inside the temple, fumbling with the gauntlets.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 27**

The sounds of the statue breaking apart behind him were effectively cut off as the heavy wooden door slammed shut. Sheik braced himself against it in case the attacker tried to follow him inside. After two minutes of no activity, Sheik considered the threat gone at the moment. Detaching himself from the door, he turned around—and almost walked right into a brick wall. Taking a step back, he realised that it was the back of a throne of sorts, in which a large suit of armour was sitting. He inspected it. The helmet was open, and there was no one inside.

Sheik finally let himself breathe out, and took a moment to recuperate, leaning against the throne. This journey was taking quite a toll on the shadow warrior, and he tired more easily now.

_Well, with dozens of injuries, that is no mystery,_ he reminded himself and pushed away from the throne, observing the room more closely. It looked like a throne hall. A small one, but a throne hall nonetheless. There were pillars lining a small path created by a purple rug that ran from the door at the end of the room all the way to the throne. Torches crackled happily along the walls, and the room was quite warm. Not unpleasant desert-warm, but comfortable-warm, like the one in the princess' hideout.

Then he took a closer look at the door. Something was blocking it. As he drew near, he realised what they were. Heavy steel bars had slammed shut in front of the door, preventing any exit. Something clicked under his boot, and an identical set of bars descended upon the door he had originally come through.

_Great,_ he thought. _I'm trapped._

Wasting no time, Sheik immediately tried to find any switches, buttons or levers he could pull. He had stepped on a switch that had locked him in; surely there would be one that would do the opposite. After fifteen minutes of frustrating and fruitless search, he sighed and sat on the floor with his back to a pillar.

He was sweating. The turban was uncomfortably tight, and his cowl seemed to have the intention of cutting off his air supply. He wrenched the thing off his face and threw it in the corner with a growl. He wiped his forehead, scoffing at the moisture gathered there. The room was getting warmer, and quickly so. In another fit of frustration, he pulled off his turban as well, immediately tying his hair into a somewhat-practical ponytail.

_Twenty minutes into the quest and I'm already out of uniform,_ he thought bitterly. _I hope Link is okay…what if that…thing followed him inside? No, Link wouldn't fall to such a cheap foe._ It was hard to keep that in mind as the temperature rose and rose with no end in sight. In a final search effort, Sheik went back to the door he came in through and looked around. And there it was. He couldn't believe he had overlooked it at first, it was so obvious. He could feel letters lining the frame. _Familiar _letters.

_Sheikah letters!_ he thought excitedly. Concentrating (which was quite hard in the heat), he felt the indentations and read.

_To unseal what has been sealed, The Executioner of Iron must be destroyed …_ That was all it said. Sheik knew what it meant. _The armour…_

He walked around the throne and observed the seated armour. It was covered in dust and massive in size, far larger than any Hylian or Gerudo he had ever seen. Gorons could not fit their frame into the delicately shaped joints, and Zoras would have been crushed by it. An equally massive battleaxe lay across its lap, surely the reason for the armour's name.

_No time to dwell on this,_ he reminded himself and drew Kazuya. If what Impa had told him was true, then the blade would easily slice through the ancient metal. But how should it be done? He had to commit some thought to this, and came to the conclusion that a diagonal slice from the shoulder down would do the trick, as it would with any other armour-clad enemy. Sheik raised Kazuya, and swung.

What exactly happened right after was a blur for Sheik. He vaguely remembered Kazuya connecting with the armour with a loud clang, but the metal had not given in to the sword. Instead, the impact sent vibrations back through Kazuya, numbing Sheik's arm in the process. And then the armour had moved…

A massive fist had swung back and hit him in the chest, throwing him clear across the room. He collided painfully with a pillar and fell to the floor, coughing. He could hear the sound of metal sliding against metal, and looked up. The helmet had clapped shut, and an eerie glow emerged from the eyeholes. Then the armour rose, and Sheik realised just what kind of creature he was dealing with.

_An Iron Knuckle,_ he thought. _Ancient, tortured souls bound within suits of armour, forever slaves to the will of whoever bound them…_ He shook life back into his arm, and prepared himself for what would not be an easy battle.

It was standing now, and gazed directly at the Sheikah. It uttered a sound not too far from a growl, but it sounded far too ancient and malevolent. Then it started walking towards him. Slowly, step by step, it approached Sheik, axe held firmly in its gauntlets. Sheik moved around it in a circle, trying to remember what the historical texts had said about the monsters.

_The armour is enchanted, impossible to damage with conventional means,_ he thought. He was surprised at the speed at which the Iron Knuckle could turn as it pirouetted 180 degrees and kept walking to him. _Their only weak point is the dark brain, which is located inside the helmet._

Sheik jumped backwards as the Knuckle swung its axe, this also surprisingly fast. The axe buried itself in one of the pillars, and the Knuckle grunted as it pulled it out, tearing apart the pillar in the process. Dust filled the room, making it difficult to see. Sheik coughed as he accidentally inhaled the pulverised rock. All the while, the temperature was still rising, and if he didn't do anything about the Knuckle, he would either die from the heat or the axe.

_Out of a frying pan and into another frying pan, I guess,_ he thought. He crouched down, looking closely at the approaching Knuckle. The bricks from the pillars were crushed underneath its feet, and the floor shook slightly with every step it took. Just as it was passing by a pillar, Sheik made his move. _This will get me killed!_ he shouted in his mind as he ran directly at the armour, which prepared itself for another massive swing.

Sheik ducked underneath the axe, changing course just as he was within striking distance with Kazuya. He jumped up on the pillar's side, launching himself up on the Knuckle's shoulders. The armour, clearly confounded by what its prey had done, swung the axe around wildly, trying to catch Sheik. Just as the Sheikah had expected, the Knuckle paid no heed to its own safety as it tried to get rid of the immediate threat. Just as the blade was about to connect, Sheik back-flipped off the Knuckle's shoulders, smiling as he heard the impact. He didn't even need to see, he could hear the helmet rolling along the floor. He pulled a dagger from his wrist bandage and threw it at the now exposed brain, a floating lump of darkness.

Another of the growl's issued forth from the creature as it struggled to stay upright, swaying as the dark brain succumbed to a final death from which it would not return. It slowly dissolved, the darkness gradually disappearing. The armour fell apart with a crash that made Sheik's ears ring, covering the purple carpet with cuirass and greaves.

Slowly standing, Sheik smiled as he heard the bars on either side of the room disappear upwards into the doorframes. He wasted no time in exiting the throne room, sighing in relief as the cool air of the corridor beyond the door washed over him. It was small and cramped, barely having room for the six steps leading down, where another door, smaller this time, awaited.

_That was…easier than I expected it to be,_ he thought as he leaned against the wall, panting. _The poor soul's intelligence must have dropped as the years went by._ It had been so easy to trick it to knock its own head off. He became aware of a cracking sound coming from the direction of the downstairs door, and looked in that direction. A strange-looking Skulltula was making a net above the door, slowly and meticulously spinning its fragile strings in a pattern.

_It's…golden,_ he thought as the light from the torch was caught by its brilliant carapace. It seemed not to notice him as Sheik approached it, studying it. It was unlike any other Skulltula Sheik had ever seen before. Then he remembered something Link had told him while camping in the mountains.

"_**I'm trying to help a cursed family in Kakariko with lifting the curse. There are golden Skulltulas scattered all over Hyrule, and I have to kill them."**_

It had taken Sheik a while to remember just what family the Hero was talking about. He had remembered eventually. He had snuck into the house next to Impa's when he was seven or eight years old. A…family member had suddenly come down from the roof and scared little Sheik. It wasn't until Link reminded him about it that he felt ashamed for running away, realising that they had only wanted to ask for help.

He took another look at the golden Skulltula.

_It's a shame,_ he thought as he drew another dagger, aiming at the absent-minded spider. _It really doesn't seem aggressive like the other Skulltulas. But, a curse is a curse, and it must be lifted._ The spider-like creature squeaked as it died with a dagger deep in its back. To the Sheikah's shock, it did not fall from the wall, but disappeared in a small burst of flame, the dagger clattering to the floor.

Sheik picked up the dagger and replaced it in the bandage, looking at the small, scorched spot where the Skulltula had been busy. The net had also gone up with the creature, leaving no evidence of its existence. According to Sheikah history, this was the kind of death every member of the tribe should strive for; one where no one knew you had ever been alive. Sheik had believed in it ever since Impa had taught him about it, wanting to honour his ancestors. But now…he wasn't so sure anymore.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 28**

It became obvious to Sheik, as he progressed through the rooms, that this particular part of the temple had been designed with someone of a much smaller stature in mind, considering the low doorways ledges which the Sheikah could scale almost without bending his knees. There weren't many hostile creatures inside, only a couple of Skulltulas here and there and some razor traps.

_Maybe Link was supposed to…no, that would be impossible. Going back and forth through time would be too risky…although he _does_ know the song to teleport here now…_ He shook his head and sighed. Despite the cooler temperature in these rooms, he was still sweating. The mountain which the temple had been built in was quite capable of retaining heat, and was apparently expelling it right now, to his chagrin.

_Face it, Sheik, _he told himself. _You don't think it's impossible for the Hero to travel back and forth through time. You're worried that he will do something to change history, and possibly negate all that you have accomplished together._ The words, even though his own, stung. It was true. He had been ready to suggest just that when they discovered the too small crawlspace at the entrance, but something had held him back. If Link went back and completed this portion of the temple, Ganondorf would surely have heard of it and stepped up his efforts in locating the princess since he now knew that the Hero of Time was active. And if he did so, there could have been a moment where Sheik was called on to perform other duties and never have met Link.

So it was, indeed, a product of Sheik's selfishness that was at fault here, but for some strange reason, he didn't regret it. Sure, it felt bad to know he had not performed his duty as exactly described, but he didn't regret volunteering to climb up the Colossus mountain. He had accomplished the mission of procuring the Silver Gauntlets, albeit in an unorthodox way. He just hoped he hadn't compromised everything by forcing Link into the temple on his own.

_And there we have my doubts again,_ he thought. _I keep thinking of him as blundering fool, but he has proven himself able to handle situations in ways I can only dream about. He's inelegant, perhaps, but effective._ He stood up from his resting position and headed for the closest door, dodging a razor trap that suddenly shot out from the wall. Even at their fastest, the razor traps could not possibly come close to hitting Sheik, whose reflexes were highly trained.

A floor master, invisible to all but Sheikah and those possessing the Lens of Truth, tried to ambush him, but Kazuya neatly cut the creature in half, both sides of the hand-shaped monster withering away in seconds, leaving only empty husks behind. The massive door opened, the thousand-year-old mechanisms still working perfectly. Sheik ducked inside, immediately placing himself in corner so nothing could sneak up on him. The room was covered in sand, and a rough cliff wall was directly in front of him on the other side of the room. A large boulder covered a circular hole in the wall, the sunlight from outside reduced to a mere halo.

A sculpture of a sun lay in the middle of the room, its eyes closed. Judging by the position of it and the light being blocked by the boulder, Sheik came to the conclusion that the sculpture needed sunlight.

_But that's if I want to go back the way I came,_ he reminded himself. He kept forgetting that he was going through the temple backwards, that the challenges in the rooms were hardly supposed to be conquered since he would only return to the throne hall if he did so. He was about to jump down the shaft to the right of the sun when he heard a hiss, the kind only a reptile could make. Sheik slowly turned around and looked up. There were ledges up there, where the shadows had made quite a domain, close to the ceiling. The Sheikah could see tiny movements up there. Something flashed. Kazuya was out of its sheathe before the pair of Lizalfos was even halfway down.

The first Lizalfos' head tumbled away into the corner Sheik had occupied minutes before. Its body sagged lifelessly to the floor. Its partner hissed and shrieked, outraged, apparently, that Sheik had attacked before they were ready.

_You won't find a fair fight with me, lizard,_ Sheik thought. Green blood slowly dripped from Kazuya's blade as the foes circled each other. The second lizard had learned from its partner's death that this foe was not going to go down easily. Which was, perhaps, why it thought an attack from behind would work. Sheik saw what it was planning as its legs tensed, and sliced Kazuya through the air above his head in a high arc as the lizard jumped. It barely had time to shriek before Kazuya cut it apart midair.

As Sheik wiped the green blood from his blade, he came to the conclusion that the Hero of Time was indeed supposed to return to his childhood and come through here. Lizalfos, while dangerous if they caught you unawares, were easy to defeat if you were properly armed and of a somewhat agreeable height, while a child would clearly be at a disadvantage.

_Which means I've saved Link a whole lot of problems in the past,_ he thought. And then he had to reanalyse what he had just thought. It was useless to apply logic or certainties when dealing with time travel, he quickly found and abandoned such thinking. The main thing was that Link had the gauntlets and that Sheik was steadily getting close to the heart of the temple.

It was truly magnificent. Not only had the Gerudo managed to carve out a temple inside a mountain, but also managed to build another, just as large statue of the Sand Goddess inside the main chamber. Sheik found himself transfixed by the softly smiling Goddess' visage. A large pair of sculpted snakes coiled around her neck, and the sheer detail of the beasts' scales was stunning.

He snapped out of it when he heard a door open to his right and looked in that direction. The door on the opposite side of the room had not opened, he knew, since that's where they needed to after meeting up again in order to get the second treasure, which could only mean that there was a door on the first floor, in front of the goddess.

His suspicion was confirmed when Link's voice called out: "Sheik?! Are you here?"

Sheik climbed over the railing on his balcony and jumped down, landing slightly behind Link, who jumped in surprise. He then smiled when he realised who it was.

"We meet again, Hero," Sheik said and smiled. "The gauntlets fit well, I see." He pointed at the gloves. "And they work?"

"Yup, they do," said Link, grinning. "You should've seen the size of that block and how I easily could have tossed it aside."

Sheik's smile faded a little. "The attacker did not follow you?" he asked, to which Link shook his head.

"No, I thought they followed you. I was so worried, I think I might have skipped several treasure chests on the way here. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Touching, Link. Thank you," said Sheik earnestly. "No, they didn't follow me, which means they're still around here somewhere…waiting for another opportunity to strike."

"Maybe they can't get inside the temple," suggested Link.

"No, the enemy is a strong magic-user and could easily find a way inside," said Sheik. "They are very strong if they're able to control lightning like that, Link. We must be careful."

Link nodded. "I just hope Nabooru's okay as well."

"She wouldn't be the second-in-command of the Gerudo, only answering to the Evil King for nothing, Link," Sheik said. "I'm sure she is able to take care of herself. Right now, however, we must focus on retrieving the next treasure."

"Next treasure?" asked Link. "What treasure?"

"The one in the other hand of the Colossus," replied Sheik. "There was another chest up there. And I just came through that door—"he pointed to his exit"—so it is only logical to conclude that that one—"he pointed to the door on the opposite side of the room"—leads to the other hand."

"Wish I could think logical," said Link as they climbed the stairs to the door. "I have a feeling everything would go much easier."

"There is no need for that, Link," said Sheik. "You've got me, remember. I'm the brains, you're the brawn."

Link grinned. "I never thought I'd hear _you_ say that."

"Again, Hero, there is a first for everything. Besides, I've been spending so much time with you that I think your speech is affecting mine."

"Good, I'm sick of not understanding a word of what you're saying sometimes."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

The room challenges were very anticlimactic to Sheik, being mostly enlarged versions of the ones he had encountered on his way to the main chamber. Granted, the one with the mysterious creature known as the Anubis had been interesting, but he had been slightly disappointed when the Anubis had walked directly into a plume of fire by its own volition, leading the Sheikah to doubt the average intelligence of the monsters in the temple.

He did, however, groan slightly when they emerged from the last room, only to be faced with another throne room with another Iron Knuckle sitting dormant at the end.

"What's that?" asked Link, picking up on Sheik's annoyance.

"That is what is known as an Iron Knuckle," explained Sheik. "It's a magically reanimated suit of armour, which is currently in our way." He pointed at the barred door behind the throne. "They won't be removed until the thing is dead." He had intentionally left out the "tortured and bound soul" bit, not wanting Link to suddenly have second thoughts about killing it. It was actually doing it a favour, in Sheik's view, but the Hero might have had a different idea.

"So it's just an empty suit of armour, then?" asked Link, drawing the Master Sword.

"Indeed," replied Sheik. "Its brain is its weakness. It is also quite slow and stupid."

"So…" said Link after a few seconds of silence. "Is it going to wake up, or something?"

"I believe _we_ have to do that," said Sheik and stepped up to the throne. This armour was different, he realised. It looked to be of the same strength, but the design was different, and some parts of it had been painted black. He also noticed bloodstains on the blade of the axe.

_Nabooru's? I hope not,_ he thought. He drew Kazuya and looked back at Link, who nodded. This time, Sheik decided to stab inside the empty helmet, hoping to destroy its brain before it even had a chance to wake up. Alas, it was not to be as yet another mailed fist swung at him. However, Sheik knew what to expect this time and jumped away, the fist missing by several inches.

As it slowly stood up and began to approach the pair, Link's eyes widened.

"It's huge!" he exclaimed.

"Quite so," replied Sheik. "Remember, the brain must be destroyed in order to defeat it."

"No problem," said Link uncertainly and stepped forward, holding the Master Sword in front of Sheik, blocking the younger's way. "Stay back, Sheik. I want to deal with this one on my own."

_He wants to prove his masculinity _now, _of all times?_ Thought Sheik and rolled his eyes. "If that is your wish, then go ahead," he said and stepped back.

Even though Link was not quite as fast as his lover, Sheik was still impressed at the sheer agility and cunning Link displayed as he jumped around the Knuckle, rolled underneath its strikes and clobbered its head from behind. No matter how much the Knuckle tried, it was unable to even come close to hitting the Hero of Time. Before ten minutes had passed (Sheik counted) Link stood with his sword buried in the helmet, the Knuckle's brain growling and hissing as it slowly died.

"I would step away from that thing if I were you," said Sheik, knowing what would happen next.

Smiling at his victory, Link turned his head to regard Sheik. "Why? What's gonna happe—" The armour exploded, the cuirass smacking into Link. He was thrown against a pillar, and stayed on the ground.

Sheik ran over to Link and bent down, looking him over. "Are you alright?"

The Hero responded by grabbing Sheik's collar, pulling him down. Placing a soft kiss on the Sheikah's lips, Link smiled. "Next time, tell me about the exploding bit a little earlier, eh?"

Smiling, Sheik stood up and offered Link his hand, pulling the Hero up. "Very well," he said.

A roar filled the room as the rusting bars in front of the doors were slowly raised. Link looked at the door to the outside.

"I guess we've got a treasure waiting for us out there."

"And perhaps a powerful enemy."

"Think we can handle it?"

"We had better, or Hyrule will perish."

"…you know, a little optimism every now and then never hurt anyone, Sheik."

"I thought it was _your_ job to positive and mine to be negative."

"It's a shared responsibility."

"Ah."

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 29**

The pair slowly moved out of the doorway, keeping a close eye on their surroundings as they approached the innocent-looking chest. Sheik gestured to Link that he should do the honours while he kept on guard. The sun was high in the sky now, indicating that they had spent quite a bit of time inside the temple already. The heat was approaching scorching point, and Sheik briefly wished he was back in temperate Hyrule, where the autumn was now starting to rage. What he wouldn't give for a shower of rain right now… He shook his head, realising he was drifting off. A creak to his right caught his attention and he watched as Link bent down and picked up something inside the chest.

"Heh, cool," the Hero of Time, Chosen of the Goddesses, Saviour of Hyrule as he slowly lifted the object out. He turned to Sheik, who was immediately blinded as the sunlight was reflected of the object's surface. Turning away, Sheik rubbed his eyes. Red spots danced across his retinas.

"Hero, would you kindly point that thing away from me?" Sheik said slowly as he gradually regained his sight. "Or at the very least, bring it into the shade where it won't destroy my eyes?"

He heard Link shuffling past him, muttering. "Sorry, didn't know it was that strong."

Not taking any chances, Sheik kept his back to the Hero. "If I'm not wrong, that would be a shield, would it not?"

"Yup, it is. It's good a very…shiny surface," replied Link, and Sheik could _hear_ the grin. "Also, it's got a crescent moon on it."

"Good, then we've found the second fabled treasure of the Desert Colossus," said Sheik, slowly turning around. "The Mirror Shield."

The shield in question was shaped almost exactly like Link's Hylian shield, except much more abrupt in the edges. The mirror-like surface was surrounded by a red metal frame, which also reflected light to a certain degree.

"Great," said Link. "So, what do I do with it?"

"You…use it, I suppose, like a regular shield," said Sheik hesitantly. Surely the Hero had not just asked that? "It will probably come in handy in the next couple of rooms we go through."

"Oh, alright," said Link and studied the backside of the Mirror Shield. "You're right, there's a small hole here for the hook on my bandolier." He removed his Hylian shield, smiling as his fingers ran over familiar dents and scrapes. "Sorry, but it looks like this is the end of the road for you," he told the shield and dropped it over the edge. They heard it make a thump as it hit the sand in front of the Colossus.

"You just…talked to a shield, Link," said Sheik, slowly raising an eyebrow. "Is the heat getting to you?"

Link attached the Mirror Shield and, after making sure it wouldn't fall off, stared at Sheik. "I've had that shield since I was eleven, thank you very much," he said. "I have a lot of fond memories of that shield. Besides, if you can talk to your harp, then I can talk to my shield."

_Damn, he heard me?_ Suddenly wishing he hadn't thrown away his cowl in the first throne room, Sheik pushed past Link, walking back into the second throne room. "It's not a harp, it's a lyre!"

"Do you think this is it?" asked Link, his arm straining as he aimed an arrow at the switch on the other side of the bars.

Sheik studied the light being reflected from the complex series of mirrors in the other room, making sure it hit the large mirror above them at the right angle.

"It should be," he answered. "If it's not, we'll just have to come back and change it. Now shoot."

The words had barely left his mouth when Link let loose, the arrow whistling through the air, slipping neatly between the bars, colliding with the switch with a loud clang. The crystalline switch's core began to glow. At first, nothing happened, and Sheik began to think they had made a mistake, but just as he was about voice these concerns to Link, the massive chains gave a jerk, and the platform they stood on slowly descended.

They were back in the central chamber, they realised as they were lowered into the room. Almost directly in front of the second statue of the Sand Goddess, as a matter of fact. They stood there for a minute, bathed in the light from the room above, the massive mirror doing its job.

"And the point of that was?" asked Link, annoyed at the lack of any other events.

"Don't ask me," said Sheik, looking around. Surely this was not it? The platform had to have some significance. He looked at the statue, staring into the wizened eyes of a goddess that no one except the Gerudo still remembered.

"I thought it was your job to know these things," said Link sourly.

"It's my job to gather information, yes," admitted Sheik. "But," he continued, "There are no records of any Sheikah ever entering this place." He remembered the letters on the wall in the throne room. "Although I have my doubts on whether the reports are lying or not. Either way, the only thing I know about this temple is the commonplace knowledge everyone knows, the two treasures and whatnot." There was something wrong with the goddess' left eye. There was a hole in it.

Link was also studying the room, apparently, as Sheik saw the reflected beam of the Mirror Shield dance around the walls. It slowly roamed over the Goddess. Something snapped, and a small cloud of dust wafted down from her nose. Sheik's eyes widened as he realised what was going on.

"Link," he said and turned to the Hero. "I want you to shine on her face."

"What good is that gonna do?"

"Just do it!"

"Sheesh, fine," said Link and unhooked the Mirror Shield, adjusting the angle so the reflected beam fell directly on the statue's face. Just as Sheik had suspected, it slowly began to crack and fall apart. Her nose detached and exploded as it hit the floor, throwing up a huge cloud of dust. More and more of her face fell away until it was no more. "Huh, there's a room inside her head."

"Indeed," said Sheik. _There is just one, small problem…_

"How're we going to get over there?" asked Link.

_You read my mind, Hero,_ Sheik thought. There was a small grated area just inside the face, which gave him an idea. "How good are you with the Longshot?"

"You know, I think you're starting to like the Longshot rides," said Link as they picked themselves up from the floor, brushing off the dust that clung stubbornly to their clothes.

"I most certainly am not," said Sheik sharply and looked around. It wasn't as much a room as it was an antechamber. There was barely room for the pair to move around, and a quite small wooden door stood in front of them. He was about to feel it for any traps, but the second his fingertips touched it, it slid open. "That's…foreboding," said Sheik and stepped inside.

Link followed. "I still think you like the ride." He walked right into Sheik, who had stopped just beyond the doorframe. "What's wrong?"

The Sheikah shook his head and sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "It just had to be another, didn't there?" he asked softly.

Link looked over Sheik's shoulder and saw another carpet stretching off into the cavernous room, where several pillars and torches lined the walls, the torches illuminating a very familiar piece of furniture.

"Another armour?" asked Link, squeezing past Sheik, who seemed to having some sort of episode, judging by the way he was muttering. He waved a hand in front of the Sheikah, who blinked, apparently snapping out of whatever daydream he was having.

"What?"

"I should be asking that," said Link. "It's just another Iron Knuckle. Easily taken care of. Come on, I'll even bet you that I ca—huh?" He stopped, realising that…something was in front of the throne.

"Hee-he-he-he," said one of the things. "I think we are found, Kotake."

"Hee-he-he-he," said the other. "I think you're right, Koume."

The things turned around, revealing to the pair the most hideous women they had ever seen. They were old, seemingly ancient, noses like beaks, covered in warts, their gray hair defying gravity. They were both holding brooms, and Sheik realised who they were.

"Gerudo witches…" he said.

"He's a clever one, isn't he, Kotake?" asked Koume, looking at her sister with a googly eye. "He knows who we are."

"Oh, Koume," said Kotake. "He is a Sheikah, remember? He is supposed to be clever; otherwise he would not be so high on our Gannykins' target list, would he?"

As the witches kept talking between themselves, Link leant over to Sheik and whispered: "Gannykins?"

"These must be Gannykin—I mean, Ganondorf's surrogate mothers," whispered Sheik back. "They raised him in this temple, away from the rest of the Gerudo."

"Ah," said Link and nodded. "And I suppose they are the guardians of this temple?"

"Possibly."

"Whispering is rude!" shouted one of the witches in a shrill voice from the other end of the room. "Especially when your elders are talking!"

"We shall have to teach you two naughty boys a lesson," said the other as they, as one, jumped onto their brooms and slowly floated up to the ceiling. One of them muttered and gestured with a hand to the Iron Knuckle sitting on the throne. With a jerk, it came to life and stood up.

"That's it!" shrieked the other witch. It was impossible to see who was who. "Punish them!"

The Iron Knuckle, which was of yet another design Sheik had never seen before took a step forward…and jerked to a stop as it realised something was missing. It looked around, searching. Then, as if an idea popped up in its head, it snapped its finger. A double-bladed battleaxe, far larger than the ones the other two armours had carried, appeared out from thin air in its hand. Then it seemingly nodded to itself and continued advancing on Sheik and Link.

"Just how weak do you hags think we are?!" shouted Link at the cackling witches and drew the Master Sword. "Come on, Sheik. Let's show them what it means to mess with us!"

"Wait," said Sheik and grabbed Link's shoulder, effectively stopping the Hero in his tracks. "There's something different about this one." He looked closer at the walking armour. "It hasn't got a brain."

"What?"

"Its eyes aren't glowing. There isn't a central brain we can attack."

"What do we do, then?"

"Follow my lead," said Sheik, Kazuya at the ready. He had a theory about this particular Iron Knuckle, but he needed to get closer to confirm it. He started running at in a sig-sag at the Knuckle, noticing how it kept turning its head to follow him. "Distract it for me!" he shouted at Link, who nodded.

The Hero ran straight up to it, ducking under the axe. He tried to stab upwards, aiming to get for something vulnerable underneath the cuirass. Lightning-fast, a massive fist grabbed hold of the blade, stopping its ascent. Link looked up. "Oh, crap…"

"Duck!"

The Hero responded immediately to Sheik's command, and just has he jumped away, he noticed the Sheikah coming in from the side, Kazuya aiming at the hand holding the axe. The Sheikah blade did not slice through the armour, which Sheik had expected. But the vibrations from the impact caused the Knuckle to loose hold of its axe, which fell to the floor with a crash, just where Link had been seconds earlier.

But Sheik was not done. Taking advantage of the leap, he grabbed hold of a spike on the Knuckle's shoulder, perching on top of the hulking mountain of metal. He hooked his fingers around the helmet's visor and pulled, hearing squeak as it opened. He leaned forward, looking inside the helmet. To Link, it looked like Sheik was trying to engage in a staring contest with the Knuckle. Then Sheik nodded, and pulled the helmet off. To Link's surprise, something red and bushy appeared where the helmet had once been. He saw Sheik throw a punch at whatever was inside.

"Ah!" a woman exclaimed, and then the Iron Knuckle collapsed, falling apart just like the others had done. Except this one had someone inside. Link ran over to them.

"Princess Nabooru, I presume," said Sheik as he gently caught the unconscious Gerudo woman and slowly lowered her to the floor.

"Is she alright?" asked Link.

"Yeah, I just knocked her out," said Sheik.

She didn't much different from the rest of her clan. The only thing that seemed to distinguish her from the others were her many pieces of jewellery. Other than that, she wore the exact same attire as the rest of the thieves. Her breaths came in short, shallow gasps, and her skin was covered in sweat, showing how much of a strain controlling the Iron Knuckle had put upon her.

"She…fought us. Is she an enemy?" Link asked. "I thought she was on our side."

"I suspect the hags had something to do with that," said Sheik, standing up. He looked at the floating witches, who were observing them in silent rage. "Or am I wrong?" he asked loudly.

"Hee-he-he-he," said one of them. "I think the jig is up, Kotake."

"Hee-he-he-he, I think you're right, Koume," replied Kotake. "And the princess is of no use to us now."

"But the boy is," said Koume and pointed at Sheik.

"You're right, hee-he-he-he." They looked at each other, and then their hands began to glow, balls of light forming. They looked at Sheik with the eyes of vultures. "Gannykins will be so happy!"

"Sheik! Move!"

But Link's warning came too late, and Sheik had no time to dodge the balls of light as they were hurled at him. They crashed into him from both sides, knocking him aside. He screamed as pain started creeping over him. And then the Sheikah was gone, Kazuya clattering loudly on the floor.

"Sheik!" Link pulled out his bow and had an arrow aimed at the witches within seconds. "What did you do to him?"

"He needed a time-out, hee-he-he-he," said Kotake.

"A little break, hee-he-he-he," said Koume.

"If you want him back, Hero of Time, you know what to do," said Kotake. The sisters grabbed each other's arms and disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Link alone in the throne room with the unconscious Nabooru.

"Sheik…" Link said, dropping his bow, sinking to his knees. "No… No!" he shouted and stood up, looking at Nabooru. Then he turned and ran to the door behind the throne.

**Soul Mates**

**Chapter 30**

**(Landmark!)**

"Last chance, witch!" snarled Link, pressing the Master Sword painfully against Koume's throat. "Tell me what you did to him!"

A rage unlike any he had ever felt before had seized Link just as he had entered the inner sanctum, causing him to loose control. He had taken quite a bit of damage, but sheer anger had kept him going and going. After the twin sisters had merged into the horrible being Twinrova (as they called themselves) and had the _audacity_to _wink_ at him, Link had blacked out. When he finally came to, Kotake lay dead in front of him, her blood dripping off his sword. Koume had tried to attack him from behind, but Link's heightened senses tipped him off, and the Hero had whirled around, slamming his sword hilt into the ancient witch's chest, which sent her flying, crashing to the floor close to platform's edge.

"Hee-he-uurgh." Koume hacked up blood, her dilating eye roaming the room, eventually stopping on her dead sister. "Oh, sister, we have failed."

"Answer me!" Link screamed and pressed the blade harder, drawing blood.

"We…have…sent…him…where…he…belongs…Hero…of…Time…" said Koume, her breath coming in short gasps. She was dying, Link knew, and he only had a little time to get the information he needed.

"Where?" He lessened the pressure, realising that blocking the witch's air supply with his sword was hardly a good way of making her talk. "Tell me, and I'll end your suffering."

"Suffering?" wheezed Koume. "This is nothing compared to what Ganondorf the Great is putting your friend through right now, hee-he-he…"

"You sent him to Ganondorf?" Link asked, eyes wide.

"Correct," said Koume and coughed up more blood. "Ah, the pain he must be exacting on the boy now…I…can only…imagine…"

The witch was not able to say any more, for the Hero of Time had had enough. The Master Sword cleaved the air, silencing the snickering witch with a single stroke. Her head made a slight thump as it hit the floor, blood slowly leaking from severed neck.

"Argh!" Link screamed, tearing at his hair. If Ganondorf had Sheik, then his lover was lost. Something clenched around his heart, his chest burned. He sank to his knees, dropping his sword and shield, burying his face in his hands. And he screamed and screamed, unable to stop.

And then the tears fell, splashing on the floor, mixing with the pool of blood that slowly spread. Unable to keep it in, Link punched the floor repeatedly, trying to make the pain in his chest go away. He could feel the flesh on his knuckles slowly being ripped away by the stone.

He didn't stop until a hand softly fell on his shoulder, making him jump. He sprung from his position on the floor, whirling around, hands fumbling for his weapons which suddenly weren't on his back anymore.

"Please, don't be afraid," said the Gerudo woman, eyes pleading. She looked dishevelled, her hair greasy and unkempt. Her golden eyes looked tired, and there were bags under her eyes. "I'm Nabooru, princess of the Gerudo."

Link hastily wiped away the tears from his face, trying to maintain his dignity somewhat, but the knowledge that Sheik was in the hands of the Evil King would not leave his mind. "You're awake." It was a simple statement.

"Yes."

An awkward silence stretched on. Neither of them knew what to say.

"You saved me," Nabooru finally said.

"Yeah," replied Link.

"You have no idea for how long those two have kept me here," she said. "Eleven long years under their control. They even made me visit the fortress. I had no control, I—I…" Unable to voice her thoughts any longer, she grabbed Link's shoulder and placed a kiss upon his forehead. "Thank you." She looked around. "There was another…where is he?"

"He's gone…"

"Damn it, pet, don't do this to me now," said a gruff voice, its owner roughly shaking him. "Wake up!"

Sheik slowly opened his eyes, and was greeted by a pair of glowing, red eyes staring into his own. He flinched, turning away.

Speil stopped shaking him and stepped away. "About time you came back. You have no idea how long you've been sleeping."

Sheik sat up, feeling softness beneath him. And grass. "Where are we?"

"I was hoping you would tell me," said Speil, his eyes scanning their surroundings. They were in the middle of a clearing in some sort of forest. It was night, and the moon was obscured by the thick layer of clouds above them. A star or two winkled pathetically, they too slowly being blocked out by the clouds. "I've come to the conclusion that we are in a forest."

"Good for you," said Sheik roughly, not in the mood to be civil to Link's shadow. "What tipped you off? The trees?"

"Among other things," said Speil and nodded. His eyes narrowed. "I don't appreciate that tone, pet."

Sheik slowly stood up, feeling a headache coming on as he stretched his sore limbs. He looked down and saw that he had been lying on a small stump, which accounted for the pain in his lower back. "And I don't appreciate your presence at the moment," he said. "What happened?"

"You foolishly forgot about the witches while you dawdled over that desert woman," said Speil. "They tried to send you to their master, and I could have none of that."

"You…stopped them?" Sheik asked.

"Why so surprised, pet?" asked Speil, opening his arms wide. "Is it really that hard to imagine me working against the Evil King?"

"You do not exactly radiate goodness," said Sheik off-handily. "I'd expect you to find entertainment in someone's captivity."

"Perhaps, but not if it's you who is captured," said Speil, staring at the Sheikah. "You belong to me, and _only me_."

Something that had been gnawing on Sheik's mind finally clicked into place. The little tingling feeling he always felt from his scar when he was around Speil wasn't there anymore. He felt for the scar, and gasped. It was gone.

"Yes, our bond is gone," said Speil in a regretful voice, sitting down on a stump. "I had to use most of my power to break their spell…and I had to make a sacrifice."

"Does that mean…?"

"Yes, I cannot enter your mind any longer. We are, as of now, completely separate beings again."

Sheik sighed, relieved. Then he looked up, suspicious. "Then how come you haven't bonded with me again? There were ample opportunities for it while I was unconscious."

"I am still too weak," replied Speil. Sheik noticed that his eyes weren't as bright as they once were; when they had burned with a glow not unlike the sun. Now they were dull, and the entire being that was Speil was sagging. His limbs seemed to weigh tons, and his hair, while never having been very brilliant to begin with, seemed to have lost its lustre, hanging down in greasy clumps. "I can barely speak to you right now."

The dagger was in Sheik's hand before he could even think about it. "Then you realise that I could easily kill you right now, or at the very least weaken you so you lose your form?"

"Yes, that thought has occurred to me several times," said Speil, the corners of his mouth rising a little in an attempt at a grim smile. "But I also know that you will not be able to do it."

"And why is that?" asked Sheik, approaching the sitting shadow, ready to lash out in case of a trick.

"Because I know that deep in your heart, no matter how many times you keep telling yourself the opposite, you love me." The smile turned into a when he saw Sheik's jaw drop. "Don't try to deny it, pet. I've seen it, the way you hide your affection behind sarcasm and hateful words. I could _feel_ it as you poured out your heart to that Ayla woman."

"That…that's not true!" said Sheik loudly and placed the blade of his dagger beneath Speil's jaw, just shy of the skin. The slightest movement from the shadow, and Sheik would slice his jugular. "Take that back!"

"What has been said cannot be unsaid," said Speil and continued grinning. "Deep inside, there glows an ember of affection for me…and you have made no attempts at extinguishing it."

_Just one movement, a tiny flick, and he will shut up,_ Sheik thought. _Just a swish of the dagger and the world will be rid of this creature…_

Speil seemed to be waiting for something, keeping still as Sheik tried to make his arm move, trying to end the shadow's life.

"You can't do it, can you?" he asked, a neutral tone in his voice. His hand enclosed Sheik's and guided the dagger away from his throat. "It's impossible for you to kill me because I am the Hero, and he is me. Completely alike, yet vastly different. You are aware of this, but cannot harm me."

Sheik tore his hand away from Speil's, stepping away from the stump the shadow was sitting on. "No, I just remembered that the only thing that can kill you is his sword," he said, not even able to convince himself. "I hate you. You killed the fairy."

"Yes, you hate me. But not because I killed the fairy. You hate me because I have traits that your Hero does not, traits you wish for him to display." Speil slowly stood up, a major effort on his part judging by his shaking legs. "The fairy…got in the way. My only intent was to kill the Hero. I would have spared her."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I clearly remember you gloating when we first met, revelling in the slaughter."

"That was the primeval me," said Speil, slowly stepping up to Sheik, who found himself unable to move. "The me that knew no better…the me that still wished to kill everything inside the room."

"Yet you say that you would have spared the fairy," muttered Sheik as Speil enveloped his lithe frame with his arms, clutching the Sheikah to his chest.

"The fairy…was an accident," Speil insisted, nuzzling Sheik's hair. "She…did not bother me."

"But I did?"

"At first…when I still had no solid form."

_Damn it, Sheik, he's doing something to you!_

"Please, pet, let me—"

Sheik pushed him away, dagger once again at the ready. "Stay away from me!" he growled. "You may look like Link, but you're nothing like him. _Appearance_ is the only thing alike between you!"

Speil sighed and lifted his arms in a defensive gesture. "You are acting irrationally."

"Irrationally? I'm stuck between the Hero of Time and his shadow who keeps trying to seduce me and get into my pants! Acting irrationally would be killing myself because I could not decide, but I have no trouble in choosing which of you I want!" Sheik sighed and lowered the dagger. "But then again, I cannot kill you. Not now."

"Why is that?" asked Speil. His eyes were glowing a bit brighter now, his power slowly returning.

"Because we need you…the Hero needs you if he is to defeat Ganondorf," said Sheik, putting the dagger away. "There is only one forest like this close to Hyrule." He looked around, noting the tree type and general ambience. Wolves howled in the distance, and small balls of light, young fairies, were emerging from their hiding places. "We're in the Lost Woods."

"There is a certain feeling of…hopelessness here, isn't there?" said Speil, apparently unfazed by Sheik's reasoning. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

"If I can find a familiar landmark, then yes," said Sheik, giving up on figuring out the shadow's mentality. "Be quiet." He listened carefully, trying to filter out the background noise. There was a familiar sound far away. It sounded like a… "Waterfall, that direction," he said and pointed in among the trees.

"Not to be a…fuddy-duddy, as they are known as, but I imagine there are hundreds of waterfalls in this forest," said Speil, pausing as he processed the word he had just used. "What is a fuddy-duddy?" he asked.

"A killjoy of some kind, I imagine," said Sheik, studying the clearing. There were no tall stumps, so they were far away from the Skull Childrens' hideout, which was quite close to the Kokiri village. "I have not put great effort in learning slang."

"Heh, you're lucky in that way," said Speil, coughing slightly. "I keep learning new things all the time, and I know words, but don't understand their meaning. Like 'inculcate'. What does that mean?"

"Imprinting an idea in someone's head," replied Sheik without thinking.

"Thank you, that word has been bothering me for quite some time." Speil had to sit down again. "So…any idea of how we are going to get out of here?"

"No, Link, I—"Sheik shut his mouth, horrified at his slip of tongue. Speil had sounded so much like Link at that moment that he had been unable to keep it in. He cleared his throat. "No, I don't. We can't teleport since I've left my lyre back in the desert, and all my deku nuts are gone…" He thought for a second. "Our best bet is to head for the waterfall and go from there."

To his credit, Speil kept his mouth shut about Sheik's embarrassing slip, and nodded. "I have but one thing to ask, though."

"Which is?"

"Can I have a bit of rest first?"

"I had no idea things had declined so badly," said Nabooru. They were in the Chamber of the Sages now, her awakening as a sage having brought them there. She looked completely revitalised now, her hair flowing and eyes shining. She looked very much like Aveil, except that Nabooru dressed much more conservatively. "And Aveil is facing open rebellion soon?"

"That's what Sheik told me," said Link dejectedly. The knowledge that his quest for the temples was finally over did nothing to bolster his spirits. Right now, Sheik could be in the worst agony of his life, and Link could do nothing about it. "As the second-in-command of the Gerudo, she knows that you are the only one the clan will gather behind to rebel against their king."

Nabooru shook her head. "And I am not allowed to return to the mortal plane," she said sadly. She suddenly perked up and fixed Link with a triumphant gaze. "Aveil will take over my position!"

"What?"

"You heard me, Link! If Aveil was to assume command, the Gerudo will obey her every order, even if it's against the king." She clapped her hands, the sound echoing. "I will teleport you back to the fortress, and you will tell her!"

"Very well," said Link in a not very enthusiastic tone. "I'll tell her."

"Excellent!" Nabooru held her hand palm up, and an orange medallion appeared in her hand. "Take this; the power of the Spirit Temple will be with you." Link took it, putting it in one of the many pockets of his tunic. Just as Nabooru prepared to teleport him out, his eyes widened and he stopped her.

"Wait! I need to go back to the temple!"

"What? Why?"

"Sheik's sword…it's still in the throne room."

The Gerudo's expression faltered. "Oh…of course, I will teleport you back at once. But how will you get to the fortress from there? My power is still limited to this plane."

"I'll walk," said Link, tightening his jaw. Nabooru nodded and crossed her arms, closing her eyes. A blue light appeared around Link's feet, and a diamond-shaped outline slowly materialised around him. "And don't worry," he added. "I will tell Aveil…and remind her of your love."

Nabooru smiled, nodding her thanks. And then everything went white.

The Hero hit the floor with an "oof", barely able to keep himself standing. He looked around, seeing the corpses of the twin witches. He spat at them and headed out the door, leaving the battlefield.

He almost tripped on an errant piece of Iron Knuckle, kicking it away after regaining his balance. Kazuya lay on the floor, almost accusingly so. The many marks and notches left by the generations of Sheikah that had owned it seemed to focus a certain animosity against Link. He gingerly picked the sword up, marvelling at how light and perfectly balanced it was. It had looked so flimsy and easily broken when Sheik had wielded it, but the Hero now realised just how dangerous Sheik could be in a fight if he had the sword.

"Sheik…I'm coming for you," he said, both to himself and the sword, as if the message would be carried to its owner.

Emerging from the temple, he realised that night had fallen. The temperature was rapidly dropping, but there was no wind. Perfect conditions for what Link had in mind. He went to their tent, wanting to gather as much of their supplies as he could before heading into the desert. He vaguely remembered the way to the rest stop, and the tunnel would take him back to the poles he could follow back to the fortress.

He was stuffing the remaining water bottles into his pack when he noticed something sticking out of Sheik's. He picked it up. The lyre twanged sadly when he plucked a string. This too went into Link's pack. He then fashioned a scabbard for Kazuya out of Sheik's robe, inserting it into his bandoleer.

He was just out of the tent when something exploded inside, throwing the Hero forward. He jumped back on his feet, whirling around with the Master Sword at the ready. The immediate area was illuminated by the burning cloth. A sudden breeze wafted over him. He had heard something buzzing just prior to the explosion.

"I knew the witches weren't working alone," he said loudly. "None of them controlled lightning." He looked around. "Reveal yourself!"

"Hmph, the sisters were unable to destroy you," said a gruff voice above Link, who looked up. The mysterious floating carpet he and Sheik had seen in the desert hovered above him. It descended slightly, revealing the speaker. The man was more hair than…well, man. "But you can rest assured that I will make no mistak—"He fell back, an arrow through his forehead. The carpet seemed to lose its updraft and fell to the ground.

Link replaced the bow on his back, gritting his teeth. "I have no time for nonsense."

"Steady, steady," said Speil as Sheik helped him up. "It's strange," he said when they had both steadied themselves. "It's been hours, but I keep feeling…weaker."

"You probably overexerted yourself," said Sheik, not really caring. It was a relief that Speil no longer had a direct link to him, and he found himself unable to respond to the shadow's idle chatter. "If magic was involved, it probably has lasting effects."

_And you won't be able to do anything until I'm far away…or you are dead._

"I'm confusing you, aren't I?" the shadow asked, smiling. His eyes, which had brightened ever so slightly, were once again fading. "At the moment, that is not my intention."

"I have a hard time believing that," replied Sheik and stepped away from Speil. "Can you stand and walk on your own?"

"For a little while, at least."

"Good, then let's go."

The trek was slowly, partly due to Speil's slug-like speed, and partly due to Sheik having to readjust their course every now and then to make sure they were heading in the right direction. It helped very little that Speil seemed to insist on tripping over every small rock and twig, helping himself to a grope here and there when Sheik helped him up.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Sheik asked when Speil pinched his buttock for the tenth time within five minutes.

"Quite," said Speil and grinned. "But I also have some rather distressing news…well, distressing to me, at least."

"What is it?" asked Sheik, rolling his eyes. He half-expected some kind of innuendo now.

"I think…I'm dying."

"You're right," said Sheik. They had paused in another clearing, the roar of the waterfall not far away. "Something is…draining you," he said, doing his best to describe what he was seeing. He hadn't noticed it before since he had been far too busy verbally sparring with the shadow, but he could now see that Speil's vibrancy and colour were fading fast.

"I think…that the spell is still trying to take you to the Evil King," supplied the shadow.

"Then how come it's attached to you?"

Speil shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe the spell recognised me as its target instead of you, and now that it has been weakened considerably, it's unable to do anything but weaken _me_ as well."

_Good, you deserve it, you bastard,_ Sheik thought. He put a hand on Speil's cheek, trying to assess the damage that was being done on the shadow. "You're cold," he said. Speil had never been cold.

"Dying, as I said earlier," the shadow replied. "Don't you know some Sheikah magic that can counter this?"

"I'm trying to remember," said Sheik. He really was trying. Impa had never been much for the magic part of their heritage apart from the deku nuts and teleporting songs. As a result of that, Sheik had researched it on his own, but the unwieldy tomes of the small Sheikah library had been hard to read, and many of the pages had been torn out. But he _did_ recall something about a ritual for ridding oneself of hostile influences.

_Does that apply here? I can't kill him on my own, but if the witches' spell can weaken him this much, then what will happen if I make a mistake?_

He looked at Speil for a moment, then at the moon, which was slowly coming out of hiding. "I may have an idea…"

_I hope Link is alright…_


End file.
